Monster [2024] – Review | Netflix (3/5)

MONSTER (2024) on Netflix is an Indonesian remake of the US thriller The Boy Behind the Door. Without any dialogue, there’s no need for subtitles. However, it’s still very brutal. Read our full 2024 Monster movie review here!

Monster (2024) is a new Netflix horror thriller. It’s an Indonesian remake of The Boy Behind the Door (2020), which was a US movie. This remake is without any dialogue, which Netflix also states very clearly. We hear a few characters say names when calling out for someone but that is it.

In other words, you won’t need subtitles even though this is a movie from Indonesia. Also, the story in this remake is as universal as in the original movie. And yes, it’s also still very brutal and heartbreaking as two kids are subject to the sinister actions of adults. The runtime is just 86 minutes.

Continue reading our 2024 Monster movie review below. Find it on Netflix from May 16, 2024.

A remake as good as the original

If you’ve watched the original US movie The Boy Behind the Door on Shudder, then you’ll know the gist of the story. In the original, the two kids are both boys and best friends, who end up kidnapped by a man, who has some very sinister plans with them.

In this Indonesia remake on Netflix, the kids are a boy and a girl, who are also best friends. Just like in the original, these kids fight for each other and it is as brave and fierce as it is heartbreaking.

You don’t need any dialogue to understand what’s going on. Seeing a room with a bed and camera at the end of it tells you all you need to know. And much more than you ever wanted to imagine.

Perfect without dialogue

The choice to leave out dialogue in Monster (2024) makes for a stronger movie, in many ways, as you’re just there with the kids. You watch and observe and try to stay safe and help your friend. It’s what many children would do because it’s the right thing to do.

As adults, we think more about consequences and options, but in the mind of a child, it’s all about the here and now. It’s often what saves them in a given situation because they react on instinct and trust their gut.

We’ve seen movies where the main character has no dialogue (i.e. Willy’s Wonderland) or where dialogue is very sparse (A Quiet Place) and it tends to make for a more intense viewing experience.

With an emphasis on viewing as you need to pay attention to the surroundings just like the characters in the story. In that sense, it’s a more immersive experience and for this particular story, that means pure horror!

Watch The Boy Behind the Door remake Monster (2024) on Netflix now!

The director of Monster on Netflix is Rako Prijanto. We’ve reviewed other movies by this director but were less than thrilled. He also directed the Netflix movies Bayi Ajaib and Para Betina Pengikut Iblis. His style in Monster is much more to my liking – it’s also without any supernatural elements!

The screenplay comes from Alim Sudio. Of course, it’s based on the movie written and directed by David Charbonier & Justin Powell, so they also get credit. As already mentioned, this Indonesian horror thriller is a remake of The Boy Behind the Door.

Just as in the US original, the two kids are the most important characters and deliver stunning performances. The two children, Alana and Rabin, are portrayed by Anantya Kirana (Bayi Ajaib) and Sultan Hamonangan (Possession: Kerasukan) respectively.

I had no major expectations of Monster (2024), but it surprised me in all the right ways. This is not an easy movie to watch, but it is good and important. I do prefer the ending of the original movie, though.

Monster (2024) is on Netflix from May 16, 2024.

Details

Director: Rako Prijanto
Screenwriter: Alim Sudio
Cast: Anantya Kirana, Sultan Hamonangan, Marsha Timothy, Alex Abbad