I'll never quite understand how movie and TV distribution works. As a UK Netflix subscriber, I have been able to watch one of the absolute best movies on the platform for almost three years now, but for folks in the USA, Saturday is the first day you can watch this criminally under-the-radar flick.
Love and Monsters is coming to Netflix on December 9th and it's lucky that is a Saturday as you need to make time to watch ASAP. This is a charming post-apocalyptic adventure that feels like a breath of fresh air in an oversaturated genre. So what makes it stand out? Good question.
Despite its end of days setting, this is about as sweet a movie as you'll find. Our protagonist Joel (Dylan O'Brien) is very much motivated by love, determined to make his way across the apocalypse to his girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick), and very much scared of the monsters.
Essentially this is a hero's journey style movie, covering Joel's first steps outside his bunker and beyond to reach Aimee's settlement. The monsters themselves are mutated versions of our creatures, and beautifully animated, but it is another animal who steals the show. Joel's canine companion Boy is in my opinion the best dog In a movie since I Am Legend.
There's plenty of laughs, you may even shed a tear at points, and I guarantee you'll feel all mushy inside by the end. What more could you want in a movie really? The brilliant Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt as a pseudo father and daughter pairing? Have that as well. All of this is a recipe for brilliance and a stunning 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix has been on a roll in recent times with some big-name additions, and of course, the reality TV colossus that is Squid Game: The Challenge (with a second season confirmed). But across streaming this winter, there are plenty of excellent movies to warm your heart.
