Monsters

Budget Shmudget.
First time feature film writer/director Gareth Edwards has put together a very clever film about life post alien invasion for the price of some films' catering budgets (OK, that might not be true but you get the picture).
Six years ago a NASA space probe crashed to earth and shortly after that, land between the USA and Mexico borders became off limits; that land is now called the Infected Zone. Giant alien squidy creatures took over the area that is regularly bombed by military forces.
In Mexico, Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able - The Man That I Was) is in hospital after a creature attack on the hotel she was staying in. Her media mogul father sends his photographer Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy - Wreckage) to check on her and bring her back home.
Sam books a ticket on the last ferry but after her passport is stolen, the two end up hitching a very expensive ride with armed locals through the extremely dangerous Infected Zone.
Things don't go so well when the group is attacked and Sam and Andrew are left to fend for themselves.
This is another small budget film that gives big budget films a mighty arse-whooping and reminds me how much Skyline sucked. It is short and sweet with little special effects, though the creatures do look pretty darn cool. The film embraces the 'less is more' philosophy.
McNairy and Able were great as the films only credited cast; the rest were locals the director picked up along the way - that is amazing in itself.
Exposition is done in the usual 'infestation' way via a few subtitles on screen in the beginning and TV reports throughout which is fine.
I'm sure Wikus Van De Merwe will be around soon to commence relocation.
Things I learnt: everyone needs a theme song; pack toilet paper; always carry a camera.
Good stuff.
Seven out of ten.