In the Taiwanese horror film "Mon Mon Mon Monsters" from 2017, a group of high school students find themselves targeted by a group of grotesque monsters living in the city. The movie is directed by Giddens Ko, who also wrote the screenplay. The story follows a group of teenage boys who are tasked with capturing a "monster" by their cruel and sadistic teacher. They soon discover a strange creature in the woods, and capture it for their teacher's assignment. While they are torturing and experimenting on the creature in the school basement, a mysterious girl arrives and helps the creature escape.
The girl, who is revealed to be living with the monster, demands that the boys must capture and kill more monsters in order to survive. The boys comply, and soon the group becomes intertwined with the monsters' violent world.
The film explores themes of bullying, ostracization, and the inherent violence of human nature. The teenage characters are portrayed as both victim and perpetrator, as they struggle to deal with the horrors around them. The monsters themselves are depicted as both terrifying and pitiable, making the audience question who the real "monsters" are.
The film's director, Ko, has stated that "Mon Mon Mon Monsters" is a commentary on the ugliness of human behavior and the need for empathy and comion in a world fraught with violence. The horror elements of the film are used to highlight the monstrous nature of human cruelty, rather than relying solely on jump scares and gore.
Eugenie Liu stars as the mysterious girl who helps the creature escape, giving a nuanced performance as a character with a complex moral com. Kent Tsai and Yu-Kai Teng also deliver strong performances as of the schoolboy gang, struggling with their own moral dilemmas and the consequences of their actions.
The film's visuals and special effects are also noteworthy, with the monsters being portrayed as grotesque and unsettling creatures that blur the line between real and imagined horror.
Overall, "Mon Mon Mon Monsters" is an impactful and thought-provoking horror film that delves into deeper themes while still delivering on scares and unease. It is a standout addition to the horror genre, blending horror elements with social commentary and deep character development.