Monster

It’s a grim look at a life gone completely off the rails, inspired by the actual history of Aileen Wuornos, who holds a spot as one of America's first female serial killers. To understand how someone becomes a monster, you have to look at the wreckage left behind early on: Aileen Wuornos had a difficult and cruel childhood plagued by abuse and drug use in Michigan. By the time she was just thirteen—the same year she found herself pregnant—she was already working as a prostitute. It’s a heavy, sobering descent.

The movie hits the mark, and honestly, Charlize is incredible in it.
In that behind-the-scenes documentary, the director actually opens up about their attempt to get inside her head—to really grasp what pushed her over the edge into those killings. That’s where that whole search for "justification" comes from. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying she was right, but if I were standing in her shoes, I can't say I wouldn't have snapped during that first encounter. As for that final one? She really didn't need that on her conscience. Also, does anyone actually know the final tally? It feels like the movie only focuses on three victims, but was the number actually higher than that?

I’m looking to pick up this movie on DVD since everything is closed up because of the rain.
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The film is incredibly heavy and depressing...
I ended up watching it right alongside today's Oprah special
about how poor Americans are living...

It's just horrific. What a terrible country and what terrible people.
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It’s always the prostitutes getting blamed, when really it's the men going to them—the hypocrites who pretend to be respectable citizens while being even worse than this serial killer.

There was an older film about her on the channel earlier and—paradoxically—
it played out like a thriller where she was depicted as a total monster.
This one is more of a drama; it’s deeply emotional and portrays her as a victim of American society and its complete lack of empathy. Honestly, it feels more accurate.
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Just a pretty mediocre TV movie vibe. I don't think Charlize Theron deserved the Oscar for this one, though the makeup and special effects were definitely top-tier 😁

I finally caught it for the first time this past Friday on ABC.

Charlize Theron is just absolutely legendary in this role. I’ve seen people on various forums arguing that she only won the Oscar because of heavy makeup and prosthetics—but honestly, that couldn't be further from the truth. She is simply Maestro!
Every single facial movement, every expression, and every look was executed with such precision that I didn't even recognize her.
For instance, when Nicole Kidman played Virginia Woolf in Sat, the makeup felt off and totally unconvincing to me, but Charlize? She nailed it.

The movie itself is gut-wrenching, but like many others have pointed out, it wouldn't even be 80% as effective if Charlize wasn't so incredible. She carries the entire film on her shoulders; she gives it depth, weight, and raw emotion. It gripped me so hard that I can honestly say the impact hasn't worn off yet. I even found myself Googling Aileen Wournous yesterday, just marveling all over again at how dignified and accurate Charlize's portrayal was.

As for everything else... yeah, I cried. It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that some people just have zero luck in life—it's almost like they're paying off some heavy karmic debt from a previous existence. No matter which way you turn it, this woman never stood a chance. I can actually empathize with why she turned to killing, even if I'm not trying to justify it. I did get a little heated reading comments about how she was portrayed as some kind of monster on the level of Charles Manson in another film.

Christina Ricci fits perfectly into the movie's aesthetic, though she doesn't quite match the actual person she's playing. The real Aileen's partner was more masculine and a bit heavier, whereas Ricci comes across as this confused, tearful, animal-loving high schooler type. Still, I suppose someone like Rosie O'Donnell playing the partner probably wouldn't have captured the same chemistry or been as effective as Ricci.