**_A bleak allegorical study of war as seen through the eyes of children_** Joseph Conrad's _Heart of Darkness_ (1899) and William Golding's _Lord of the Flies_ (1954) share similarities with Werner Herzog's _Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes_ (1972), Francis Ford Coppola's _Apocalypse Now_ (1979), Héctor Babenco's _Pixote: a Lei do Mais Fraco_ (1981), Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's _Johnny Mad Dog_ (2011), and Elem Klimov's _Idi i smotri_ (1985), all blended together with the feeling of hopelessness that comes from war, presented in a story resembling a fairy tale. It turns out this unusual combination results in a film unlike anything you’ve likely encountered before. Written by Alejandro Landes and Alexis dos Santos, and directed by Landes, *Monos* (from Ancient Greek meaning "alone") moves between locations – from a mountaintop above the clouds to a dense jungle, then a river, and finally near a city embroiled in war – while exploring themes of a tight-knit group devolving into a survival-of-the-fittest mentality. Visually striking, the story is somewhat underdeveloped, and occasionally the allegorical elements feel unclear, but it’s an incredibly bold and imaginative work from a director who seems destined for great things. The film unfolds in an unidentified country (Spanish speakers indicate Latin America, with filming taking place in Colombia) at an unspecified time during an ongoing war between unknown factions for reasons that remain vague. On a mountaintop, we meet the MONOS unit – child soldiers known only by their nicknames: Wolf, Rambo, Bigfoot, Swede, Smurf, Dog, Boom-Boom, and Lady. Under the guidance of “Messenger” (former Colombian guerrilla Wilson Salazar), they are tasked with guarding an American prisoner, Doctora (Julianne Nicholson), and caring for a cow named Shakira. During the day, they take these duties seriously, but at night, they behave like typical teenagers: drinking, experimenting with drugs, having relationships, and joking around. Their camaraderie is high until an accident triggers a chain of events that forces them to abandon their mountain base and venture into the harsh jungle below. Cut off from leadership, their discipline crumbles, leading to violent clashes among themselves. The film draws inspiration from the Colombian Conflict, a long-running civil war beginning in 1964, involving various groups including the government, paramilitary organizations, drug cartels, foreign entities, and guerrilla forces like _Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia_ (FARC). Landes and dos Santos were specifically influenced by the 2016 peace agreement between Juan Manuel Santos’s government and FARC, which involved disarmament and reintegration into society. While FARC ceased to exist as a military group in 2017, forming a political party, _Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común_, around 1,600 dissidents continued fighting. Landes notes that the possibility of peace felt fragile, inspiring him to shape the film like a fever dream. The filmmakers intentionally created a world outside of time and place, aiming for a universal experience transcending borders. The story functions as both a fairy tale and a myth, with violence balanced by poetic imagery. Rather than evoking specific horrors, Landes presents war as a broader allegory, facilitated by the lack of concrete details. This approach examines the chaos and absurdity of conflict through the lens of adolescence; although violent, the MONOS members are also teenagers experimenting with identity, drugs, alcohol, and sexuality, questioning authority and believing they can do better. The opening scene, where they play football blindfolded, encapsulates this duality – seriousness alongside playful innocence. It could even be seen as an allegory for adolescence itself—a group of young people unsure of themselves, testing boundaries, and challenging the adults in their lives. *Monos*'s distinctive aesthetic is dreamlike, blurring the lines between war drama and hallucinatory experience. This effect is enhanced by Mica Levi’s score, built around whistling and percussion, and Jasper Wolf’s cinematography. Initially, Wolf frames characters small against vast landscapes, conveying a sense of isolation; later, he uses close-ups and handheld shots to create claustrophobia and a loss of control. If I were to find fault, it would be with the plot, which is thin even for an allegory. Landes’s resistance to specificity sometimes hinders clarity, leaving one wondering at its precise meaning. While the theme of child soldiers is powerful, Landes seems less interested in exploring it directly. This can result in a lack of emotional connection with the characters, though this may be intentional.

Source on TMDB