Love and Monsters (film)

The destruction of an asteroid headed for Earth releases fallout, causing cold-blooded animals to mutate into large monsters and kill off most of humanity. During the evacuation of Fairfield, Joel Dawson is separated from his girlfriend Aimee but promises to find her, shortly before his parents are killed by monsters.

Seven years later, Joel lives in one of many bunkers underground called "colonies", where all other survivors have romantically paired up while fighting monsters and seeking supplies. Joel instead is left behind in the kitchen, as he freezes in dangerous situations. When a giant ant breaches his colony, killing one of the survivors, Joel sets off on a quest to reunite with Aimee so he doesn't end up alone.

Passing through the suburbs, Joel is attacked by a giant toad-monster but is saved by a stray dog named "Boy", who follows Joel on his journey, warning him against poisonous berries and other dangers. Joel falls into a nest of worm-monsters called "Sand-Gobblers", when two survivors, Clyde Dutton and Minnow, rescue him. They are heading north to the mountains, where fewer monsters live due to the colder weather and higher elevation. They teach Joel some basic survival skills, and that not all monsters are hostile, demonstrating how "You can always tell in their eyes". They invite Joel to join them, but he insists he must find Aimee. As they part ways, Clyde gives Joel a grenade.

Continuing west, Boy becomes trapped by a giant centipede-monster. Joel freezes, but eventually saves Boy with his crossbow. Sheltering in an abandoned motel, they meet a robot named Mav1s. Before her battery dies, Mav1s powers his radio long enough to briefly contact Aimee. Other survivors have reached her colony, promising to lead them to safety. The next day Joel and Boy are attacked by a queen Sand-Gobbler. They hide, but Boy barks, giving away their position. Joel kills the queen with the grenade, and yells at Boy for putting them in danger, causing Boy to run away. After swimming across a pond, Joel is covered in poisonous leeches and hallucinates, but is rescued before he collapses.

Joel wakes to finally see Aimee. She leads a beach colony of elderly survivors who depend on her. He is introduced to the survivors, as well as Brooks "Cap" Wilkinson, a ship captain, and his crew. As everyone celebrates their imminent departure, Aimee confesses she is glad to see Joel, but has become a different person and is still mourning someone she was in love with. Joel decides to return to his colony, contacting them on the radio and learning that it has become unsafe and that they too must leave. Cap sends Joel some berries, which he recognizes as poisonous. Realizing Cap is not to be trusted, he rushes to warn Aimee but is knocked unconscious.

Joel, Aimee, and the rest of her colony awaken tied-up on the beach. Cap reveals that his group is going to raid the colony, and that their yacht is towed by a crab-monster controlled with an electrified chain. Cap sets the crab to feed on the colonists, but Joel and Aimee escape and are able to fight for their lives, and Boy returns to help. After a lengthy battle, Joel has the opportunity to shoot the crab, but he realizes it is not hostile by looking into its eyes. Joel instead shoots the electrified chain, freeing the crab, who leaves Joel unharmed and instead sinks the yacht, devouring Cap and his crew.

Joel recommends Aimee and her colony head north. They share a goodbye kiss, and Aimee promises she will find him. Joel treks all the way back to his colony, and they too decide to head to the mountains. On the radio, Joel inspires other colonies to take to the surface. As the colonies head north, Clyde and Minnow, already in the mountains, wonder if Joel will survive the next journey.

In June 2012, it was announced that Paramount Pictures was developing the film Monster Problems, with Shawn Levy producing, based on a spec script by Brian Duffield. It was described as a post-apocalyptic road movie in the vein of Mad Max and Zombieland with a John Hughes-esque love story.[6]

In October 2018, it was announced that Dylan O'Brien was in talks to star, and that Michael Matthews was directing the film.[7] By March 2019, Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt had joined O'Brien.[8][9] In April 2019, it was announced that Jessica Henwick had joined the cast.[10] Also in April, Australian actor Dan Ewing joined the film in a supporting role.[11] Principal photography started on the Gold Coast on March 25, 2019, and ended in May 2019.[12][13]

Producer Shawn Levy said the film "benefited immensely" from the work of cinematographer Lachlan Milne, with whom he had previously worked on Stranger Things.[14] Stunts were coordinated by Glenn Suter who had worked with O'Brien when he returned to complete the third Maze Runner film, after having experienced a serious accident during a stunt.[15] The stunts were a challenge for Henwick because she had to work to look less competent, despite years of training for the Marvel television shows.[16] The dogs were trained by Zelie Bullen, the main dog was called Hero, and his double was called Dodge.[15][17]

The visual effects for the film were completed and managed by Mill Film Adelaide, in collaboration with MPC Bangalore and MPC LA.[18]

The film was originally slated for release on March 6, 2020, but in October 2019, the release date was moved to April 17, 2020.[19] In February 2020, it was pushed back again, to February 12, 2021.[20]

In August 2020, Paramount announced that due to COVID-19 pandemic the film would be released via video on demand on October 16, 2020. The film's title was changed from Monster Problems to Love and Monsters.[21] The film also played in 387 theaters for the weekend of October 16–18, 2020.[22] Netflix released the film on their service outside the US on April 14, 2021.[2]

The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Visual Effects category, but lost to Tenet.[5] The nomination was given to Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt, and Brian Cox.[31] It was also nominated at the Critics' Choice Super Awards in the Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie category.[32]

• Love and Monsters at IMDb