We often talk about the lengthy journey from the completion of a script to getting the financing and go-ahead to go into production, but in the movie Monster’s case, the waiting game happened after the film was completed and received a standing ovation at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Despite that warm reception, Monster is only first getting a release now. But on the bright side, it is getting a Netflix release, which gives the Anthony Mandler-directed film an opportunity to reach an especially large audience.
The movie stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Steve Harmon, a teenager living in Harlem who’s an honor student eager to become a filmmaker. However, those hopes are obliterated when Steve is charged with felony murder. Did Steve really lose his promising future by participating in the crime or is he caught up in a rigged system? Monster explores the nature of justice through a deeply personal telling of Steve’s experience with the legal system, one that examines the drastically different ways those involved in his trial see him - from the prosecution painting him as a monster to his parents who see a loving son with a promising future.
With Monster now available to watch on Netflix, I got the chance to catch up with Jennifer Hudson and Jeffrey Wright who play Steve’s parents in the film. Check out what they had to say about working with Mandler on his feature directorial debut, working with Harrison Jr. and more in this interview!
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