Monsters Within (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

When Luke Wolf (Devin Montgomery), a war veteran, returns home, he’s forced to face the demons of his past. Furthermore, he finds himself enraged by the struggles of others and finds himself immersed in a world of pain and suffering that he thought he’d be able to escape. Memories of his sister and a new, budding relationship bring out the Monsters Within Luke, and he must find a way to overcome them before it’s too late.

Sometimes when you look to describe something, the wrong adjective presents itself–and in the case of Monsters Within, the adjective “scratchy” remains present in my mind. I’ve struggled to come up with other words to describe the film’s aesthetic and the way that the film made me feel as a result. Montgomery (who also acts as writer and director) presents viewers with something that is reminiscent of film from the late 1980’s and 1990’s, that appears almost grainy, but, again, scratchy feels to be the best word to describe how I feel about this aspect of the film. It’s a physical representation of the scratching noise made by a record, almost placing viewers in a different time. That both works for and detracts from Monsters Within, as the film is modern and doesn’t need a time marker of sorts, but it also helps to express the hardened and challenging tone that Montgomery hopes to present to his viewers. 

I feel that what Montgomery hopes to accomplish with Monsters Within is a valid attempt at bridging the gap between civilians and those who have been tasked with putting their life on the line for their country. Unless you’ve experienced that trauma first hand, I’m not sure that you’re able to fully fathom the burden that that must be. Monsters Within, however, doesn’t settle for a singular storyline, and it tends to veer off on tangents that sometimes overshadow, but nearly always bog down the power that the film’s primary storyline had the potential to carry. Continuing to add to the story in unnecessary ways, Monsters Within fails to live up to the emotional excellence that I anticipated it would. 

Furthermore, what starts as an intimate story of grief soon transitions into something larger, less accessible, and far less entertaining. Not only do the secondary stories detract from the film, what eventually becomes the primary storyline by Monsters Within’s conclusion is so wildly opposite to what had occurred up to that point. At this point, the film becomes fully flattened, and I was incapable of connecting emotionally. 

Finally, I struggled with the performances of Montgomery and Kendall Cavener (Lily), as they often felt hollow, void of true emotion. The two actors weren’t capable of delivering emotion in a way that could resonate with the audience, could allow them to feel anything. Montgomery tries, again and again, to make connections between those aforementioned civilians and the men and women who fight for our freedom. The performances in Monsters Within don’t help the cause. 

Monsters Within is hindered by performances, the aesthetic, and the series of unnecessary storylines throughout. While the film hopes to be something grounded and effective in displaying the emotional distress experienced by everyone (particularly those involved in our military), Montgomery can’t seem to find any semblance of balance, and the film fails to achieve emotional aptitude or overall success as a result. 

Written & Directed by Devin Montgomery. 

Starring Devin Montgomery, Kendall Cavener, Samuel French, Skeeta Jenkins, Daniela Montgomery, etc. 

4.5/10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED