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NEW YORK (CNS) -- Though it's adapted from a book that's over a decade old, "Monster" (Netflix), director Anthony Mandler's screen version of Walter Dean Myers' 1999 novel for young adults, feels remarkably timely. This tale of a Harlem youth caught up in the criminal justice system gains credibility, moreover, by avoiding pat answers.
While uneven, Mandler's drama ultimately proves affecting.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays 17-year-old aspiring filmmaker Steve Harmon. With his happy home life -- Jennifer Hudson and Jeffrey Wright play his caring (but unnamed) parents -- and his scholastic success as an honors student at New York City's prestigious Stuyvesant High School, college hopeful Steve seems to have everything going for him.
‘Monster’ doesn’t settle for easy answers to complex issue
Kevin Harrison Jr. stars in a scene from the movie “Monster.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. (CNS photo/Netflix)
By John Mulderig • Catholic News Service • Posted May 14, 2021
NEW YORK (CNS) — Though it’s adapted from a book that’s over a decade old, “Monster” (Netflix), director Anthony Mandler’s screen version of Walter Dean Myers’ 1999 novel for young adults, feels remarkably timely. This tale of a Harlem youth caught up in the criminal justice system gains credibility, moreover, by avoiding pat answers.
Monster cast buoys Netflix crime drama that doesn't quite meet moment
Monster.
Photo by Anna Kooris/Netflix The reckoning over how Black people, and especially Black men, are too often regarded as threats by police and the public at large has been a long time coming. While there are examples of films confronting the issue going back decades, recent years have seen a notable uptick of filmmakers trying to illuminate something that has remained in the dark for much too long. The latest film to do so is
Monster, which centers on Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), a clean-cut kid with a passion for filmmaking who happens to live in a not-so-good neighborhood in New York City. As the film begins, Steve is in jail for what we soon learn is being an accomplice to the murder of a convenience store clerk, a crime committed by neighborhood acquaintances Richard “Bobo” Evans (John David Washington) and William King (Rakim Mayers, aka ASAP Rocky) while trying to rob the store.
CinemaBlend
Monster is finally here more than three years after it made its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. But now that you can watch the story of a high school honor student falsely accused of murder in a robbery gone wrong on Netflix, you are probably wondering where youâve seen the
Monster cast before. And while names like Jennifer Hudson, Jeffrey Wright, and John David Washington are easy ones to figure out, some, like the filmâs star, Kelvin Harrison Jr. might have you stumped.
Below is a quick breakdown of the major players on the
Monster cast, who they play, and where youâve seen them in the past. With both established and rising stars in the acting world, as well as some of the best hip-hop artists of yesterday and today, taking up residence on the cast, thereâs a lot to unpack hereâ¦
Monster: Release time, date and cast for the film on Netflix confirmed
Fans are wondering about the release date and time for Netflix’s upcoming film ‘Monster’. We look into the release of the film.
The film originally premiered in 2018 at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2020 Netflix acquired distribution rights to
Monster. The film is directed by Anthony Mandler and based on a book by the same name by Walter Dean Myers.
The premise of
Monster follows the story of a young man named Steve Harmon who is a likeable, intelligent, young man. Harmon is charged with felony murder and sent to prison. As the film unfolds so does a complex legal battle that could alter his life forever.
Monster cast buoys Netflix crime drama that doesn't quite meet moment
Monster.
Photo by Anna Kooris/Netflix The reckoning over how Black people, and especially Black men, are too often regarded as threats by police and the public at large has been a long time coming. While there are examples of films confronting the issue going back decades, recent years have seen a notable uptick of filmmakers trying to illuminate something that has remained in the dark for much too long. The latest film to do so is
Monster, which centers on Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), a clean-cut kid with a passion for filmmaking who happens to live in a not-so-good neighborhood in New York City. As the film begins, Steve is in jail for what we soon learn is being an accomplice to the murder of a convenience store clerk, a crime committed by neighborhood acquaintances Richard “Bobo” Evans (John David Washington) and William King (Rakim Mayers, aka ASAP Rocky) while trying to rob the store.
Monster.
Former music video and commercial director Anthony Mandler’s debut feature film tells the story of seventeen-year-old student Steve Harmon, who is already showing tremendous promise as a filmmaker. When
Monster opens, though, he has just been arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of a shopkeeper.
Unsurprisingly, Steve struggles in prison, and as he prepares for his trial alongside his lawyer Katherine O’Brien, we see his vivacious personality crumble and be replaced by anxiety. All the while, the film dives into Steve’s backstory, focusing on his relationship with his parents, his various friends and enemies in Harlem, and his camaraderie with his film teacher Leroy Sawicki.
Monster: Release time, date and cast for the film on Netflix revealed hitc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hitc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.