Melissa Barrera in Droll Musical-Horror-Rom-Com – The Hollywood Reporter

Tommy Dewey and Melissa Barrera in Your Monster.

Courtesy of the Sundance Institute. Photography by Will Stone.

It’s probably safe to say that Your monster It is the only film ever to record a sex scene with Jimmy Durante’s raspy voice singing, “I could turn the gray sky blue, if only I was you.” Caroline Lynde’s first feature film (based on her short story) is a song-and-dance, twisted comedy about romantic comedy, heartbreak, rebounds, and revenge. Full of affection for big Broadway-style tunes, with a heroine whose dream man is soft-hearted but also not human, it’s a sharp, witty confection.

Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera), a would-be actress, is in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery when her boyfriend breaks up over text. As we see in the opening scene, she’s howling and crying, but even as she’s being wheeled out of the hospital, we hear Dick Van Dyke cheerfully singing “Put on a Happy Face” from the original Broadway album of Bye Birdie. The playful song here comes across as absurd and preposterous, just as it turns out in Lindy’s film.

Barrera may be known as Screaming (2022) and sixth scream, But she’s not into horror queen memes. Playing it straight, she portrays Laura as weak, shrinking, and not as talented as Barrera. (Your monster He was apparently shot before Barrera was shot down The seventh scream In November.) Living alone in her childhood home, abandoned by Mazie, an unstable best friend who promised to be there for her—Kayla Foster perfectly captures Mazie’s self-absorption—Laura wanders around, devouring dozens of her absent mother’s pies. I sent. She sends pathetic text messages, the kind your friends tell you never to send, to her ex-boyfriend, Jacob (Edmund Donovan makes him completely obnoxious), who is now performing in the musical she helped him develop. This was supposed to be her lead role.

From the depths of her despair and imagination, a monster emerges from her bedroom closet, a dead ringer for the monster from the classic Disney animated film, only a little worse for wear. Laura reminds him that she first saw him under her bed in 1994, three years after the Disney movie was released, so it’s no coincidence. This creature, which she calls “the Beast,” also appears to have a lot of old theatrical greasy paint on its face. It’s hard to say if this is a prank or bad special effects makeup. Otherwise, the film has a clean, natural look, with unobtrusive camera work and set design that enhances the sense of realism — in Laura’s home and on the streets of New York — even when her imagination runs wild.

As the monster, Tommy Dewey (unofficial) gives this monster emotions. His rudeness does not last long. He even recites Shakespeare, which is a fitting monologue from him Comedy of errors. In classic rom-com style that opposites attract, when Monster and Laura watch old movies on TV, she cries Royal wedding And he believes Night of the Living Dead It is a documentary film. Whether falling in love with this fantastical creature is more or less healthy than eating all those pancakes is not something the film passes judgment on. Monster encourages her to audition for Jacob’s show, so he at least gets her out of the house.

With that musical, called House of righteous women Set in a private girls’ school, the film takes a sharp satirical turn. The arrogant Jacob calls his work a “love letter to women.” It’s actually a musical, set up starkly, echoing the original songs by Daniel and Patrick Lazor on Broadway, heard in rehearsals and on opening night. Megan Fahey (White lotus Season 2) was perfectly cast as the most popular actress to shine and get the role intended for Laura. Eventually Barrera was able to release the songs for real, as she did at the time In the highlands.

The ending, as it veers too far from the overall comedic tone, doesn’t quite work, but it’s bold, and earns the film its place in Sundance’s midnight lineup.

Lindy said so Your monster Inspired by her own experience of being immersed in text while in hospital recovering from surgery. Making a good movie is the best revenge.