Monos is a 2019 internationally co-produced war drama film directed by Alejandro Landes, written by Landes and Alexis Dos Santos and produced by Fernando Epstein, Santiago Zapata, Martin Solibakke, Cristina Landes and Landes himself. It stars Julianne Nicholson and Moisés Arias. The film follows a group of armed teenage guerillas assigned to watch over a hostage. This film was released in the United States on September 13, 2019 by Neon and Participant, receiving positive reviews from critics.
The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on 26 January 2019, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award. It was selected as the official Colombian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards and the Goya Award for Best Iberoamerican Film at the 34th Goya Awards.
Plot
On a remote Colombian mountaintop, the Monos, a group of teenage commandos identified only by their noms de guerre, perform military training exercises while watching over a prisoner of war referred to only as “Doctora”. They are visited by the Messenger, who oversees their drills and instructs them to push themselves harder. Two of the Monos, Lady and Wolf, request permission to enter a romantic relationship, which the Messenger authorizes. Before departing, he leaves the Monos in charge of a milk cow named Shakira.
Lady and Wolf consummate their relationship, an event the other commandos honor with celebratory gunfire, during which Shakira is inadvertently shot and killed by Dog. The Monos punish Dog by putting him in solitary confinement in a pit and then drag Shakira’s body to their camp to strip it for meat. Troop leader Wolf commits suicide. The Monos argue over how to report this to the Messenger via radio; they eventually lie to protect Dog, saying that Wolf killed Shakira and killed himself out of shame. With Wolf’s death, the Messenger appoints Bigfoot as head of the squad. Over the radio, the Organization’s commander asks Doctora questions from her family to confirm that she is alive.
The Monos’ base is attacked and Doctora is put under the watch of Swede, who informs her that she will be killed if the opposing forces try to rescue her. While they are alone together, Doctora appeals to Swede’s emotions to help her escape and the two embrace when the bunker in which they are hiding is shelled. Swede begins kissing Doctora, who throws her off; Swede then laughs at her.
The following day, Bigfoot announces that the Monos were triumphant in the fight and will be relocating to the jungle. Soon after their arrival, Doctora makes an escape. Bigfoot is enraged, damaging the radio and declaring the Monos independent of the unnamed Organization that they serve. After Doctora is recaptured, Bigfoot demands that Rambo chain the prisoner to a tree. Rambo does so but begins to cry, further angering Bigfoot.
The Messenger returns to check on the Monos and discovers that Lady and Bigfoot have begun a sexual relationship without approval. He forces the Monos to carry out strenuous exercises and confess to him about one another’s misdeeds. Smurf reveals that Dog is the one who killed Shakira and recounts what Bigfoot said about the Monos’ independence. The Messenger announces that he will be taking Bigfoot to be assessed by the Organization’s superiors. However, on the motorboat ride there, Bigfoot shoots the Messenger in the back and returns to the jungle camp. Smurf is tied to a tree as punishment for snitching and the Monos double down on their training, successfully robbing several passing motorists.
During the night, Rambo tries to free Smurf but is stopped by Lady. Rambo then runs off alone, coming across a boat, where he is caught by its owner, who is diving for gold in the river. He takes Rambo back to his home, where Rambo meets the man’s family and is given food and a bed.
Swede takes Doctora to swim and soon joins her in the river. Doctora uses the chain to drown Swede, then breaks the links with a rock. Back on land, she finds Smurf tied up and takes his boots. Smurf begs Doctora to take him with her but she declines.
The Monos track Rambo down and attack the house, killing the man and his wife. As Rambo flees, a television in the background reports that Doctora has been spotted in the jungle and it is implied she will soon be rescued by authorities. Lady finds the couple’s three children hiding under a table while Bigfoot, Boom Boom, and Dog chase after Rambo, who jumps into the river. Eventually, Rambo washes up on shore and is picked up by a military helicopter, whose pilots radio ahead that they have found an unidentified person. As the helicopter arrives in a nearby city, one of the soldiers contacts his commander, repeatedly requesting what to do with the captive as Rambo starts crying.
Cast
Julianne Nicholson as “Doctora” Sara Watson
Moisés Arias as Bigfoot
Sofía Buenaventura as Rambo
Julián Giraldo as Wolf
Karen Quintero as Lady
Laura Castrillón as Swede
Deibi Rueda as Smurf
Paul Cubides as Dog
Sneider Castro as Boom Boom
Wilson Salazar as The Messenger
Jorge Román as The Gold Miner
Reviews
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