The Monster Project Movie Review

Starting off strong with a found footage film, I present The Monster Project! The Monster Project is a found footage film directed by Victor Mathieu. The film is about Devon wanting to do something more besides the scary monster videos he records and puts on YouTube for people around the world to see. With his best friend Jamal, he decides he wants something more to put online like what if they searched for real monsters. He puts a Craigslist ad to search for real monsters for his “Monster Project” what happens next is a crazy whirlwind of madness.

The Monster Project introduces Devon, Brian (recovering addict living with Jamal and Murielle), Jamal (Best Friend of Devon), and Murielle (Ex-lover of Devon) as Devon goes on his hunt for real monsters. During the time of the movie, he comes across a skinwalker, vampire, and a girl possessed by a demon. Before each of them formally came to the actual shooting of the show, the monsters had to be interviewed to proven they are real. I had The Monster Project saved on my Tubi account for a while and I stayed away from watching the movie until I could face my fears of werewolves. The Howling messed me up, but I will do a review on that movie in the near future.

The Monster Project had a really good story, but the ending did become a basic demise for the characters. As with a found footage film, you get to know the characters by the actions you see them do throughout the movie. For example, you can see how Devon is more of a self centered prick and wants this series to really be perfect. The main focus is all on him and his people tagging along are just there to make things go smoothly for him. Which makes the acting good and enjoyable compared to other found footage films. The movie does also spend a lot of time on Brian and what he goes through in how he is a big centerpiece for the movie. Jamal and Murielle do get pushed to the side as literally supporting characters who do a lot for Devon and Brian.

The effects for the monsters transformations to the makeup effects on the vampire are dazzling. No pun intended as the vampire does not shine in this movie. My favorite makeup effect for the monsters is the vampire. She doesn’t look over the top because she is a tattoo artist, so she looks very average to fit the look. The ending twist did come as a surprise for me because it did throw me left field in how I thought about Devon. All of the things happening in the movie did not once hint at what his true nature was and I think some movies do lose that touch. It is hard trying to find a good found footage film to watch, but this movie is a total ride.

If you do enjoy the found footage genre then I would recommend this movie as for anyone who would want to watch a good found footage film. It is hard coming across found footage films as a horror movie watcher myself. It is not on the level of Hell House LLC, but the movie does a good job of standing its ground into becoming an underrated gem. If you have the time to watch the movie then you can watch it on Tubi where I found the movie. If you do a quick search on Google there are multiple movie streaming services available to enjoy the movie for yourself.