What would you do for success? A Brilliant Monster review

A Brilliant Monster, F.C. Rabbath’s new film, takes a look at such a writer that seems to have never ending inspiration but what if never ending inspiration comes with a price? Often times, writers of both fiction and non-fiction will be asked where they get their ideas. Writing isn’t easy work and everyone goes through a block. But what about those writers that always have amazing ideas and the inspiration well never runs dry?

A Brilliant Monster was written by F.C. Rabbath and Adam Bertocci and directed by Rabbath. It stars Dennis Friebe as Mitch, Joy Kigin as Abby, Dina Najjar as Laura, Bill Kelly as John, Alea Figueroa as Sophie, Reid Meadows as young Luke, and Gleb Krotov as young Mitch. The story follows Mitch Stockridge, an immensely successful writer with completely original DIY books (which almost seems more difficult than fiction) and no sign of stopping his success and popularity.

However, Mitch has a secret of where his ideas come from. There’s a monster in his life and it demands sacrifices in exchange for the secret to Mitch’s success. Mitch’s ex-girlfriend goes to the cops to try and stop the blood flow, but with a story so wild, will anyone believe her?

The monster is so rooted into Mitch’s past and present abuses, there may not be a way to be rid of it, but with so much success, there may never be a reason to and he may not be the only one who harbors a monster. We all may have a little monster in us.

The most striking thing about this film is the lighting, especially where the monster is concerned. Anytime the monster shows up, it’s shown in green, like greed and envy, many things that are associated in striving for extreme popularity and success. On the other side of the coin, Mitch is shown at times in a reddish light, to me indicating anger within him.

Image courtesy of F.C. Rabbath Creations

Friebe is successful in creating a character that is uncomfortable to watch because he seems almost uncomfortable in his own skin. He’s popular among his fans and widely known but something is just off about him.

Image courtesy of F.C. Rabbath Creations

I really enjoyed the film, even though the story got a little cloudy towards the end. Perhaps as a writer, I have a connection to the idea of it all. Not to mention, most indie films lack a polished feeling of more mainstream horror but A Brilliant Monster feels and looks polished.

The visual and audio quality surprised and pleased me as I love the stories more in indie film making but can find myself longing for a different look and feel of the movie. However, I never felt this way with A Brilliant Monster.

The story is engaging and makes us wonder what we are all capable of to reach our goals and our desired level of success. What (or who) are we willing to sacrifice to become what we want to be?

Will you see A Brilliant Monster? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.