Trauma or, Monsters All (OVERLOOK) is a Tedious Monster Crossover
Title: Trauma or, Monsters All
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Larry Fessenden
Writer: Larry Fessenden
Runtime: 118 Minutes
Starring: Larry Fessenden, Laetitia Hollard, Aitana Doyle, Alex Hurt, Alex Breaux
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Writer/director/actor Larry Fessenden has earned his prolific career as a champion of indie films and New York filmmaking. In Trauma or, Monsters All, three of his stories converge. From 1995’s gritty vampire flick Habit, Sam (Larry Fessenden) returns to the screen to cause chaos while Adam (Alex Breaux) hopes to find true connection after the events of 2019’s Depraved. In 2023’s Blackout, Charley (Alex Hurt) survived an angry mob hoping to kill the town werewolf. Not long after, in the throes of community turmoil, he must fight to survive once more.
Tasked with writing the next biography on George Washington Carver’s life, observant writer and part-time librarian Cassandra (Laetitia Hollard) finds herself distracted by the secrets of the sleepy town she moved to. Talbot Falls is a hot bed for intrigue. Local rumors claim that a werewolf ravaged through the town a few years ago while Cassandra remains convinced that something is off with the strange man who lives next door. All the while, a vampire from New York City travels up to seek out supernatural brethren and a change in pace. These various stories collide in a maelstrom of violence and distrust.
The intentions of Trauma or, Monsters All reach farther than its soft deconstruction of American malaise.
Ambitious in its undertaking to connect the three stories, Trauma or, Monsters All stumbles in its execution. This attempt at interweaving the stories relies on ham-fisted interactions between characters from the different films. Littered with the references one would expect from a piece tying the worlds together, the connection with the story never takes shape. It feels more like an attempt to connect with nostalgia that never existed. Bizarre character motivations and decisions make it feel more cobbled together than intentional to why Talbot Falls is a North Star. The clashes between different characters and stories gets confusing and messy, which is a credit to its goal of parsing through present day woes.
Despite attempts to craft compelling characters, the clumsy execution takes away from the film’s intentions. Cassandra’s character is reduced to passively tying together the stories in a bizarre, unsatisfying culmination of platitudes and generalizations. While Cassandra’s insight into the town has some merit, the film’s messaging is confusing thanks to her changing motivations. The convoluted integration of Cassandra into the story weakens the film’s story and social commentary, as many of her actions and lines are half-hearted and contradictory.
The troubled monsters from the previous films steer through the small-town chaos without much fanfare, these encounters feel more serendipitous than connective. Their character arcs feel incomplete in the attempts to flesh them out further. The performances are not the issue but much of their characters come down to passivity and indecision despite feeling like fuller characters previously.
Using monsters as extended metaphors for unresolved trauma, Trauma or, Monsters All opines on how America ended up here. Between intentional division, paranoia, and tense conversations amongst former acquaintances and friends, there is plenty of obstacles making reconciliation difficult. The easiest way to bridge this challenge is to be honest about the past and try to move forward. On its face, the message behind Trauma or, Monsters All is noble. It misses the mark on adding any meaningful meat on the bones of its well-intentioned thesis.
Stilted acting and uncanny dialogue make the picture even harder to take seriously. There’s plenty of talent in the indie feature, with Alex Braux’s performance anchoring the film’s emotional core and the solid, if brief turns by Barbra Crampton and Rigo Garay showcasing strength in the greater ensemble. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast give uneven, or flat, performances that knock the wind out of the little tension built. The dialogue lacks both confidence and cadence, often sounding clunky and expository more than revealing.
Despite some mishandled story elements, the talent largely lies in the ways the indie film tackles its technical work. As gritty and DIY as the spirit of New York, there are some beautiful and mesmerizing shots within the film that elevate its atmosphere. It’s easy to feel the small-town charm and fear radiate through the picture.
An overstuffed exercise in indulgence, Trauma or, Monsters All gets lost in the weeds of its mumblegore monster mash. Unconvincing performances, ridiculous dialogue, and baffling story decisions make this crossover event fall flat. There’s a heart to the story and plenty of talent arises in some of its technical elements. Sadly, it never eclipses its glaring story and character issues. Fans of Fessenden’s work may find something to take away but most others will drift elsewhere for efforts with sharper political commentary on healing America.
Overall Score? 4/10
