Concealed on an ethereal mountaintop in the Colombian wilderness, a band of rigorously trained teenagers are tasked with guarding a prisoner of war by an enigmatic militia referred to only as ‘the Organization’. Within this situation of extreme isolation and self-governance, the group have to navigate leadership, love and rivalry as they guard their captive for an otherwise unknown political purpose. Monos is an overwhelming sensory experience that portrays the extremities of raw human emotion with both disturbing intensity and artistic dexterity.
The eight ‘recruits’ at the center of the film’s narrative form a unique community in a makeshift habitat amongst the clouds with no contact with the outside world other than through the sporadic visits of their mentor-cum-trainer, Mensajero (Wilson Salazar). Far removed from the rest of civilization, living in their own distorted reality, these teenagers bask in their virtually lawless existence. But when the group are forced to negotiate democracy and codes of morality and loyalty, their relationships become increasingly strained. Descending from their mountain-top base into the depths of the jungle, they become even more removed from any semblance of order or control and interpersonal grievances run the risk of transforming into fatal disagreements.
Monos certainly bears comparison to Lord of the Flies in its depiction of a group of youngsters who turn on one another under the strain of self-imposed, oppressive social order. The film forces us to see how when in an extreme environment, removed from normality, everything can so easily break down. The unforgiving and beautiful landscape becomes a central character within the narrative and through skillful cinematography and sound-editing, you ultimately become enveloped in its vivid and terrifying milieu. This film is visceral, brutal, poignant, and at times can be deeply unsettling, but it is certainly one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of the year thus far.