Monster (2003) Movie Review

『💔 Love Did Not Save Her, But She Loved Until the End.』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Monster (2003)
🌍 Country: 🇺🇸 United States
🎞️ Genre: Biography / Crime / Psychological Drama
📢 Director & Screenwriter: Patty Jenkins
👩‍💼 Cast: Charlize Theron – Aileen Wuornos
Christina Ricci – Selby Wall (based on Tyria Moore)
📺 Platform: Watcha, Amazon Prime Video, Naver Series On (VOD)

🧩 In-Depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)

🧍‍♀️ Meeting and Love of Two Wounded Women

Aileen Wuornos suffered sexual abuse and neglect since childhood. Pushed to the edge of life, Aileen meets Selby at a gay bar in Florida. Selby, cast out by her family for being a lesbian and living with relatives, is drawn to Aileen’s rough but protective nature, while Aileen experiences 'true love' for the first time with Selby.

💬 “I’d do anything for you.”

Aileen tries to find a job but fails due to lack of education and experience. Forced to support Selby, she returns to sex work. When a client brutally attacks and attempts to rape her, she kills him in self-defense. This first murder becomes a pivotal turning point, transforming her into a predator. She then chooses murder and robbery as a way to earn money without enduring humiliation from clients. Unlike the initial self-defense, subsequent killings become inexcusable crimes. Aileen rationalizes that all the men she killed were 'villains' to preserve her relationship with Selby.

🔪 The Inner World of a Killer Protecting Love

As Aileen’s crimes are reported as a serial killing spree, Selby flees back home in fear. Aileen is eventually arrested, and under police pressure, Selby testifies against her in court. Aileen is ultimately sentenced to death.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Significance

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👿 The Birth of a Monster (Nature vs. Nurture)

The film does not depict Aileen as an inherently evil person. It rigorously examines how extreme poverty, abuse, and sex work shaped a human being and ultimately created a 'monster'. Viewers are left unable to condone her brutal crimes yet feel complex emotions toward her tragic life.

💔 The Irony of Love and Despair

The relationship between Aileen and Selby represents the only pure and warm part of Aileen’s life, marred by chaos and violence. For Aileen, it became a reason to live and a justification for committing crimes. Selby also forms a co-dependent relationship with Aileen, leading to eventual tragedy.

Is Selby a victim? She becomes both Aileen’s last hope and the deepest source of despair. The film tells not the story of a monster, but of a person who loved unconditionally and longed for love but could never truly possess it.

🎭 Cast Insights and Additional Notes

Charlize Theron gained weight, wore prosthetics and dental appliances, transforming her appearance to closely resemble the real Aileen Wuornos. Beyond appearance, she perfectly conveys Aileen’s complex emotions of anger, despair, innocence, and cruelty. Her performance received critical acclaim, sweeping major awards including the Academy Award for Best Actress. Critic Roger Ebert described it as not just acting but embodiment.

🎬 Debut Film of Patty Jenkins

Monster holds significance as the debut of female director Patty Jenkins. Jenkins avoids the typical Hollywood trope of sensationalizing a serial killer, focusing instead on Aileen’s human suffering and social background to craft a serious drama. By portraying Aileen Wuornos as a human rather than just a criminal, the film provokes audiences to question social violence and structural inequality. The sharp depiction of violence, love, tragedy, and empathy laid the groundwork for Jenkins’ later work, including Wonder Woman.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★☆