Incredible and harrowing story of a real-life serial killer

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2019)

'Monster' is based on the life of prostitute and serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, who killed seven men in Florida between 1989-1990 and was executed in 2002.
Before watching 'Monster' I knew nothing about Aileen or her story and went in completely blind. Nevertheless, I was enthralled with the film that I immediately switched on Nick Bloomfield's documentary 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer' (2003) to see the true story. I now give this review having watched the film and documentary, knowing more about Aileen's crimes.
The film follows Aileen from just before she starts committing the murders, providing insight into her lifestyle on the streets as a prostitute and her meeting with her lover, Selby (Chrisitina Ricci) and ends with her conviction. It shows Aileen's relationship with Selby, her desperation to break out of prostitution and inability to keep control of her life. It shows three of the seven murders she committed, and although it is very much a story of a serial killer, the primary focus is on Aileen's motivations.
'Monster' is a harrowing tale of a woman who was branded a murderous men-hating wh*** and killed for her crimes. This film tries to go beyond that and digs deeper into Aileen's character and past to explore her personality and her motives. The result is incredible, as it genuinely makes you sympathise with her despite the horrendous and unforgivable crimes she commits. No one will ever truly know why Aileen committed the murders, but 'Monster' makes a convincing case that it was a result of her traumatic up bringing, her experiences of violence from men over the years of working as a prostitute, her inability to integrate into 'normal' society, desperation to provide for the one she loved and a way to take back control of her life in the only way she could. It's sick and twisted, but makes for fascinating film-making.
Our intrigue with crime stories and serial killers lies in the looming questions of HOW and WHY. How does a person become so evil that they can take another life? How can they justify their crimes? Why would anyone wish to harm/kill another human being? These are the questions 'Monster' explores and attempts to answer. It's fascinating that in this case the answer doesn't appear to be the simplistic answer we usually hear of "Because she was evil" or "Because she was a psychopath" but something much more complex. Aileen is a victim as much as perpetrator, a woman that has suffered throughout her life and is afflicted with mental illness which she never receives medical help for. Does that justify her crimes? No way, nothing could ever justify it. But that grey area that 'Monster' explores is what makes this film so interesting.
Charlize Theron is INCREDIBLE in her role as Aileen. She lives and breathes the role, quite literally becoming Aileen. Not only does her physical appearance resemble Aileen very closely, but she also has the same mannerisms and impulsive and reckless nature. When watching Charlize as Aileen, it is hard to believe you're truly watching Charlize at all. Generally, when people think of Charlize they think of glamour, beauty and grace, but as Aileen she becomes an ugly, erratic and abhorrent human. She truly deserves all of the awards for pulling this performance out of the hat.
Overall, 'Monster' is a thrilling and chilling tale of Aileen's crimes that is thought evoking and harrowing. Charlize's performance makes the film the success that it is and I will remember 'Monster' for many years to come.