The Ending Of Love And Monsters Explained
A movie title offers an audience their first impression of a new project, which is why it's so weird when one comes out that just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. All these years later and we're still trying to figure out what a Quantum of Solace is. Luckily, that problem is non-existent with the 2020 adventure flick Love and Monsters. There's plenty of love and a whole lot of monsters, so you know exactly what you're getting into with one of the best action movies to come out that year.
In typical post-apocalyptic fashion, the film begins after chemical fallout causes all cold-blooded animals on the planet to grow exponentially, eradicating most of humanity in the process. In the midst of the initial chaos, Joel (Dylan O'Brien) is separated from his girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick), and he promises to one day return to her. The movie picks up seven years later where Joel is living in an isolated colony and still hasn't gotten over losing Aimee, so he decides to trek forth in the landscape above filled with monsters to try to find her.
While it may sound like your typical monster movie, there's a surprising amount of emotional depth to keep you invested. Plus, the monster effects are truly astounding to behold, as evidenced by the fact that the film was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 93rd Academy Awards alongside the likes of Tenet and The Midnight Sky. It's all rounded out nicely with the Love and Monsters ending really taking the film in a psychologically intriguing direction few people likely saw coming.
Man is the true evil in Love and Monsters
The ending of Love and Monsters shows the reunion between Joel and Aimee, but the celebration is cut short by the revelation that Cap (Dan Ewing) isn't as nice of a guy as he initially led on. Turns out, him and his crew have actually gone around to numerous colonies to steal their supplies and kill anyone in their path. They're planning to do the same to Aimee's group, but luckily, they have Joel with them who's learned a lot about being a leader and a warrior from earlier in the film. This results in a final confrontation with Cap's giant crab, which the mercenary uses to transport his ship, but something interesting happens in this meeting.
Joel decides to set the crab free after looking into its eyes and seeing how it's not hostile. It's a powerful moment because it changes what we as the audience have come to believe about these monsters throughout the film. These creatures aren't evil necessarily; they're animals that now have the ability to eat humans and destroy buildings. You probably still don't want to come face-to-face with a Sand-Gobbler, but they're not purposely malicious like Cap and his team.
Cap could've worked together with one of the colonies, but instead, he takes down all other humans in his path just so he can have more resources for himself. He's probably killed as many humans as the monsters when there was absolutely no reason for him to do so. Like the best sci-fi movies before it, Love and Monsters uses a high-concept plot to reveal something intrinsic about human nature and leaves us with something we can all learn from.
Love and Monsters illustrates the complexities of returning to someone's life
"Mankind is the true monster" isn't the only theme present in the film. Joel's entire journey is about meeting up with Aimee again so that he can be like everyone else in his colony who have partnered off. He hasn't let go of the flame for his old girlfriend, and when he finally sees her, he expects her to be just as joyous as him. She's not disappointed to see him or anything, but it's obvious any emotions that were there have degraded a bit.
We learn through their conversations that Aimee actually had a relationship with someone else between the time of them being separated and reunited. That person passed away, and she's still struggling with their death. The problem with this homecoming is that Joel has remained pretty much the same person he was seven years ago while Aimee has grown. She's taken on significant responsibilities within her colony as a leader, and she hasn't pined over him all these years.
It's easy for people to overly romanticize the relationships they had when they were younger. People are dumb as teenagers, and high school relationships often end from forces outside of their control, such as moving away to college. Over time, you may start to wonder what it would be like to get with that special someone once again, but that's a fool's errand. People are supposed to change, and chances are if it didn't work out once, then it won't work again because you've both gone through your own unique experiences that have sent you to different places in life. Love and Monsters shows how love can lead people to amazing accomplishments, but it's also an ever-changing presence that takes different shapes over the course of a person's life.
It's a big world out there for sequels, spin-offs, and more
As of this writing, there are currently no set plans for more movies within the Love and Monsters universe; however, the film certainly does make that a possibility. A sequel could follow Joel as he leads his colony into the mountains where there's supposedly greater protection against the giant beasts, and that also just so happens to be where Aimee is taking her people. A prequel could explore what Aimee was up to within the seven years prior to reuniting with Joel, or a spin-off could focus on a completely different cast of characters entirely who have to contend with giant-sized creepy-crawlies.
While we don't have exact numbers, it seems like the film was a modest success when it was released back in October of 2020 in theaters (where available) and VOD. In the week it first came out, it shot to the number one spot for the most-purchased film on both Apple TV and FandangoNOW, and with a budget of only $30 million, there's a high likelihood it turned a profit (via IndieWire).
We're not the only ones who have pondered whether a sequel is in the cards. In an interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Love and Monsters director Michael Matthews spoke about the potential of turning the film into a franchise: "I have got a few ideas that could be really interesting, but it's not something we've gone too far down the road with. It really just depends on the movie itself and how audiences take it in." With such high praise from critics and general audiences alike, there's no doubt that word of a sequel would be met with delight.