A child soldier has mud smeared on her face in the movie Monos
2019 Movie ReviewsBOFCAMoviesSpoilerpiece Theatre

Spoilerpiece Theatre 272: Monos

Evan Crean

Episode #272: “Ad Astra,” “Abominable,” “Monos,” and Kris’s last episode!

Yes, you read that correctly – after five years as cohost, Kris is leaving the show, but not before he shares some memories of his wedding with Dave and Evan. Then it’s on to the movies!

In Episode 272 of my podcast Spoilerpiece Theatre we review Ad Astra, Abominable, and Monos. After five years as cohost, Kris is leaving the show, but not before he shares some memories of his wedding with Dave and me. Then it’s on to the movies! First up, Kris recaps Ad Astra (17:51), the James Gray film featuring Brad Pitt as an astronaut wrestling with his identity after discovering the true fate of his father. It’s worth a watch, even if it’s not your kind of movie, and may win you over with its great lead performance, excellent visuals, and good intentions. Then it’s Abominable (29:13), a family movie about a yeti. It’s good, and you won’t hate yourself if you bring your child/niece/nephew/babysittee to kill a few hours. Dave and I close things out with Monos (39:40), a brutal film about child soldiers that is well made, but fails to resonate beyond its fine performances and excellent score.

Evan Crean

Hello! My name is Evan Crean. By day I work for a marketing agency, but by night, I’m a film critic based in Boston, MA. Since 2009, I have written hundreds of movie reviews and celebrity interviews for Starpulse.com. I have also contributed pieces to NewEnglandFilm.com and to The Independent, as a writer and editor. I maintain an active Letterboxd account too. In addition to publishing short form work, I am a co-author of the book Your ’80s Movie Guide to Better Living, which is available on CreateSpace and Amazon. The book is the first in a series of lighthearted self-help books for film fans, which distills advice from ’80s movies on how to tackle many of life’s challenges. On top of writing, I co-host and edit the weekly film podcast Spoilerpiece Theatre with two other Boston film critics. I’m a founding member and the current treasurer for the Boston Online Film Critics Association as well. This site, Reel Recon.com, is a one-stop-shop where you can find links to all of my past and present work. Have any questions or comments after checking it out? Please feel free to email me (Evan Crean) at: ecrean AT reelrecon DOT COM .