Monsters of California (2023)
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Monsters of Cailfornia is a passion project from first time director Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 fame. Reportedly a big believer in aliens and conspiracy theories since his youth, it only makes sense for Tom to put it all towards a platform like writing and directing. Luckily, the film is a fairly solid and competently filmed debut from the rocker, despite some minor flaws here and there.
The story focuses on a few inquisitive teenage friends who are always up for investigating into the unknown. Led by the eccentric Dallas and accompanied by the stereotypical stoner friend “Toe” and the more level-headed Riley, the film opens with the trio attempting to capture a ghost on camera with mixed results.
It’s not long before they’re on to their next adventure, this time leading them on a path to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Dallas’ military father. Following clues left by the dad, the friends ultimately find themselves mixed up with a seemingly crazy conspiracy theorist, potential alien spacecrafts, the obligatory secretive branch of the military (who are hot on their trail) and a Bigfoot, because why not?
While the movie is light on horror, it offers a well-paced story and manages to blend in small elements of different genres. It also does a decent job at capturing the inquisitive misadventures of youth, even if the dudes in the film seem a little too old to be doing some of these things. Either way, the main characters are likeable enough that you want to see where the mystery takes them.
However, the film isn’t without flaws, as there are moments that seem a bit out of place, like how one scene may have laughs and playful banter only to immediately shift into some overly dramatic argument. These tonal shifts are spread throughout the film and seemingly only exist to give the movie some unnecessary drama. There are also scenes that hint at something big, only to miss the mark in the end. Oh, and don’t get me started on the completely useless romance element between Dallas and a girl he barely meets from a local coffee shop that he somehow convinces to tag along with them, but anyway, I digress.
In the end, despite the issues, I had fun with the movie for the most part and feel like it accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is take us on a fun little adventure and I was on board with it right from the start.