Colossal

Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is an alcoholic, and out of a job. After her constant drinking and lying, her boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens) kicks her out of the house leaving Gloria with no choice but to return to her home town. There she finds her parent’s bare and uninhabited house and by chance happens to bump into an old school friend named Oscar (Jason Sudekis). Meanwhile in Korea, there’s a giant monster rampaging through Seoul and it quickly dawns on Gloria that the two are connected.

It’s frequently said that the less you know about a film the better but in the case of Colossal it’s better to know what not to expect otherwise you will be colossally disappointed. Much has been made of the film’s plot, where Anne Hathaway’s Gloria is seemingly connected to a giant monster rampaging through the South Korean capital, Seoul. This alludes too much regarding how much of the film is about a giant monster rampaging though a city and destroying all in its wake. Instead, it’s a thought provoking human drama about alcoholism, addiction and toxic romantic relationships.

Perhaps this is why I am so impressed with Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo’s film as it does investigate often discussed topics in a uniquely metaphorical way. There is an element that Colossal is like Young Adult meets The Host but in this case, whilst destructive, Gloria isn’t a truly toxic person and it’s not really a monster movie. Gloria does though have an interesting and well written character arc as she discovers the harmful effect that her drinking has on the people around her and any other innocent party. Alcohol addiction is shown to be destructive not only to yourself, but to others around as it shatters personal relationships and friendships with others.

What Colossal is mostly about, however, is toxic relationships, especially abusive ones in the physical and emotional sense. As frequently documented and written, it’s clear that male entitlement is very much a problem and Jason Sudekis’ Oscar embodies this foul attitude. As amazing as Anne Hathaway is, Jason Sudekis’ transformation from seemingly nice guy to cruel bully is particularly chilling, especially when it appears that his alcohol addiction and sense of entitlement is the root cause. His behavioural change is chilling because it reveals his generous gift giving at the start of the film had ulterior motives. You can tell Oscar felt entitled to Gloria’s attention because there is a clear moment where it all happens.

The film’s jarring tones can be a source of complaint but much of the film’s humour stems from satirical swipes at the news, particularly how people consider themselves lucky to be able to witness such a momentous event. It’s a different film, but an excellent one nonetheless.

4/5