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Monster

Monster

Based on a true story.

2003109 minRMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Patty Jenkins
Starring
Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen

In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. She's raped by a trick, who she kills. A string of murder and robbery follows that ultimately leads Aileen to becoming America's first female serial killer.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Monster?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Monster to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Monster?

Monster earns 11 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Top 10% of films.

Show 3 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Monster worth watching?

Monster's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 347K ratings across 6 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

85th percentile among Biography89th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)88th
Approval (how many liked it)89th

73 /100

88th percentile of all films

86th percentile among Biography88th percentile among 2000s

Critics 74 · Audience 73

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

79% liked it

89th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Biography88th percentile among 2000s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Critics 81% · Audience 81%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

1 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 30 wins / 25 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actress in a Leading Role
  • WonGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

97th percentile

347K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Biography95th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$8M
Opening weekend$87K
Domestic gross$34M
Worldwide gross$58M

Returned 7.3× its budget — 91st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film centers on Theron's performance and takes creative liberties with Wuornos' story.

Fans praised

  • Theron's transformative, psychologically immersive performance as Wuornos
  • Sympathetic, humanizing portrait without excusing the crimes
  • Jenkins' refusal to sensationalize violence, focusing on character and relationship

Detractors panned

  • Historical inaccuracy and sympathetic bias toward the killer
  • Exploitative treatment of victims and their families
  • Overemphasis on lesbian romance at expense of factual context

What stands out

ActingDivisive95

Theron's Oscar-winning embodiment of Wuornos; Ricci's supportive but less acclaimed work

Emotional impactDivisive80

Deeply saddening; fans emphasize catharsis and sympathy

Atmosphere80

Bleak, immersive world of motels and highways; pervasive hopelessness

CharactersDivisive72

Complex, sympathetic portrayal of Wuornos; Ricci's Selby seen as shallow or manipulative

Cinematography70

Gritty, authentic Florida visuals; praised for capturing despair

Tension70

Unsettling buildup and murder scenes; uncomfortable intimacy

Dialogue65

Straightforward, gritty realism; some call it clunky or repetitive

Plot and story60

Love story framework; detractors cite deviations from real events and lack of depth

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 12 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Monster like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its harrowing true story with unflinching realism and empathy, refusing to sensationalize or judge.
The rideThe film maintains a tense, grim atmosphere that intensifies as Aileen's killings escalate, with the heaviest emotional weight during her arrest and the final phone call.
StructureThe story is told linearly from Aileen meeting Selby through her arrest and trial, with no structural gimmicks.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's unflinching portrayal of Aileen's tragic life and execution leaves a profound, lingering sadness and deep unease.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAileen's descent into serial killing is presented as the tragic outcome of a life of abuse, poverty and systemic neglect; the film traces her relationship with Selby and her escalating violence.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of filmsViolence · 4% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Aileen's desperate need to be seen as worthy and loved, while violence becomes her twisted response to a world that denies her that worth.
StanceThe film presents Aileen's story without moralizing, observing how poverty, abuse, and a loveless society shape her descent into murder.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanRuralInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · BT
SettingDaytona Beach, Florida, and the highways and motels of the late 1980s to early 1990s
MusicBT's score blends orchestral swells with electronic textures, underscoring the film's emotional turbulence.

Content guide

Is Monster okay for kids?

R

Monster is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (91/100), sexual content at intense (73/100), language at severe (93/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (83/100) and frightening material at severe (86/100). Overall it is heavier than 98% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland-
  • PortugalM/16
  • Russia18+
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 99% of all filmsHeavier than 98% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 86%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 92%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 96%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 94%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: language, violence, frightening material, drug and alcohol content, and sexual content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Monster have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Monster?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Charlize Theron won the Oscar for this film.

Charlize Theron
as Aileen
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Actress in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christina Ricci
as Selby
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bruce Dern
as Thomas
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lee Tergesen
as Vincent Corey
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Annie Corley
as Donna
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Pruitt Taylor Vince
as Gene
Marco St. John
as Evan
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Marc Macaulay
as Will
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Scott Wilson
as Horton
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Rus Blackwell
as Cop
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Monster?

Movies like Monster include The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004), Owning Mahowny (2003) and The Boy (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, half are stories of toxic codependency, and half are biopics.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its feel: bleak. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Monster?

153 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: serial killer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.