A troubled ten-year old girl informs her father that a monster visits their home regularly, is it real or just a figment of a child’s imagination? We review Monster in a House.
Two parents, Joe (Joseph Bottoms) and Emma (Lisa Roumain) are concerned about their young daughter. Miah (Kitana Turnbull) has been painting some unusual pictures depicting her parents in harrowing manners. When Joe questions Miah about the drawings, she states that a monster visits her every time her parents get into an argument. Satisfied that “kids will be kids”, Joe returns to his wife but, as expected another argument fires up. This leaves Miah scared as the titular monster returns to wreak havoc and only Miah can save the day.
Monster in a House is a fantastic and polished short film that just oozes professionalism and creativity. Directed by Christiano Dias, the short film took me back to the 1980’s and being a kid watching children’s fantasy films of that era, but with a modern spin. The production design is exquisite, with the house being transformed into a kitchen/jungle and the hallway being turned upside down by a rampaging monster. The lighting and cinematography were all crisp and well done and thought out. It’s plain to see that a lot of effort by talented professionals was put into making the short film.
As stated by numerous people before myself, a film is only as good as its audio. Thankfully, the sound design on Monster in a House is brilliant, with glorious monster-like sounds moving around the house as Miah is exploring.
The performances by all the actors are on point, with Bottom and Roumain making convincing parents and young Kitana Turnbull portraying the troubled Miah so professionally, you would think she would have had decades of acting experience.
Monster in House is an excellent short fantasy film. Think a one-girl The Goonies meets Pan’s Labyrinth condensed into twelve short minutes and you will have an idea of what Monster in a House is. I was very impressed.
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