Monster marks another film from Kore-eda’s work, which I intend to explore further eventually. As with his other movies, it offers a very intimate portrayal of someone, their reasons for acting as they do, and how those actions impact the people in their lives. The movie is complex; it presents the same narrative through different viewpoints, offering the complete picture rather than just fragments. I generally prefer to piece things together myself—I’m usually one who likes to discover the full story. However, Kore-eda provides the whole thing, sometimes simply presenting information when I would have liked a more conventional approach of revealing details gradually. If it weren't for that minor reservation, Monster would easily earn a 4-star rating because of Sakura Ando’s remarkable performance as the mother and the superb direction—particularly how actors are positioned within scenes; it’s an odd detail to note, but I jotted it down while watching. Regardless, I encourage everyone to see this film. It's worthwhile even with its straightforward presentation of information.

Source on TMDB