1870. Colossal (2016)

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell

Director: Nacho Vigalondo

Running Time: 109 mins

Colossal is an American film about a woman who, after suffering a break up and leaving New York City, returns to her rural hometown and reacquaints herself with the locals. However, in a bizarre turn of events, she discovers that she is mysteriously linked to a giant monster that is attacking the city of Seoul at the very same moment.

This film is just strange. But that’s not on a weird-out level of strange, rather on a totally unique and often bewildering concept that shouldn’t really work. However, with consistent originality and bizarreness, Colossal does prove an engaging watch, albeit not the most engrossing on the emotional level it aims to bring to the table as well as its surreal concept.

As memorable as the film is for its uniqueness, it’s also a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to a genuinely engrossing watch. That said, we’ll start off with the positives, the biggest of which is definitely that uniquely strange atmosphere.

Colossal immediately makes itself clear in the notion that it’s not an overly serious indie drama thanks to a smattering of good humour, and a deliberately exaggerated central performance from Anne Hathaway. So, while the film’s outright vibes may be ones more akin to a drama, it’s all done in an almost hyperbolic manner, but that makes a huge difference to the way you view the film from then on.

Because of course, when you’re landed with a story that doesn’t really make all that much sense, and never really tries to be fully grounded or logical, it’s always much more interesting to watch if there’s a humorous take on affairs, and although the film isn’t much in the way of a laughter fest, you won’t be able to help but chuckle and watch on in bewilderment as it goes from inexplicable quirk to inexplicable quirk.

Now, with all that said, I still can’t say that Colossal is a great success of a film. Yes, it’s an entertainingly strange dark comedy-drama with a very unique concept, but that alone doesn’t make it a fully worthwhile two hours – often proving a little more frustrating to follow fully intently than it should be, and as a result slightly dampens the effect of the bizarrely unique thrills earlier on.

What’s more is that the film unfortunately surpasses its limit in how much inexplicable weirdness it can get away with. Particularly in the changing relationship between Jason Sudeikis and Anne Hathaway’s characters, Colossal just oversteps the mark in something so strange that you can’t really come round to it, even with that little injection of humour.

Overall, I found enjoyment in Colossal, particularly in its most effectively bewildering moments, and thanks to a strong performance from Anne Hathaway, however it’s not a perfectly-executed picture, and just doesn’t manage to keep itself in order as it develops into increasingly stranger territory, so that’s why I’m giving it a 7.0.