Notable Cast: Lily Sullivan
There are ways to balance a budget for a film. Limited
locations, limited characters, limited visuals. All of these are valid ways of
telling a story as long as the creativity in its narrative can carry the weight
of the film. Yet, it’s shocking how far Monolith takes it. One star. One
location. And that’s essentially it. It’s about as minimalist as possible
before someone starts filming in the void. And since it’s about a podcaster,
one might argue that it does occur in the void.
Still, as Monolith unfolds, it's strangely hypnotic
following a journalist's investigation, played by Lily Sullivan, about
mysterious black “bricks” that have been arriving at various people’s homes.
Slowly (very, very slowly) but surely, the narrative adds subtle layers to its
mystery. It’s a film that asks many questions, rarely provides answers, and
loves manipulating the information provided to its audience through the
questions the main character asks—or doesn’t ask.