Monsters

AroView: Compared favourably to DISTRICT 9, this is another enterprising alien invasion film that similarly belies its independent budget (and spirit) with blockbuster-calibre special effects and acting.

Real-life couple Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy play lone travelers who are thrown together and forced to trek through a convincingly rendered “infected zone” that covers the Mexican border and much of the South West states of America. It’s a curious hybrid of low-key, odd-couple romance and sci-fi adventure, and though it doesn’t completely forge a satisfying whole, it works on its own ambitious independent terms, with its box-office success spelling an effective calling card for its British writer/director.