It’s interesting to consider *Monster* within Kore-eda’s film work—something I intend to explore further eventually. As with his other movies, it offers an intimate portrayal of a person, their reasons for acting as they do, and the impact those actions have on others. The movie is complex; it presents the same narrative through different viewpoints, giving the audience the complete picture rather than fragments. Ordinarily, I prefer to piece things together myself, gradually assembling all the elements—I’m a fan of discovering the full story. However, Kore-eda provides everything readily available; there were moments when I would have appreciated a more conventional approach from a filmmaker, one that emphasizes showing instead of directly explaining. If not for this minor reservation, *Monster* easily would have earned 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, which is an odd but noteworthy detail I jotted down while watching. Regardless, I encourage everyone to see it; despite being presented so directly, it's still rewarding.

Source on TMDB