![‘Monster’ With Kelvin Harrison Jr. Finds New Resonance Post-George Floyd But Still Feels A Little Standard Issue [Review]](https://cooncel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/monster-with-kelvin-harrison-jr-finds-new-resonance-post-george-floyd-but-still-feels-a-little-standard-issue-review_6096bc75334fa.jpeg "‘Monster’ With Kelvin Harrison Jr. Finds New Resonance Post-George Floyd But Still Feels A Little Standard Issue [Review]")
Coincidences are a hell of a thing. Anthony Mandler’s indie drama “Monster” is a film that premiered at Sundance in 2018, but it only made its way on to Netflix now, the week of May 7. In the same week, Derek Chauvin, the convicted murderer of George Floyd, moves to request a new trial. His lawyer claims Chauvin was denied a fair trial due to the pre-trial publicity. “Monster,” based on Walter Dean Myers’ 1999 novel of the same name, finds itself opening with a possible new vested interest. Mandler’s adaptation of a young Black honor student involved with a complex legal battle after being charged with the murder of a bodega owner draws on themes of race, truth, and justice, with its release so soon after Chauvin’s initial verdict, an interesting contrast can be obtained despite the film’s rather standard execution of affairs.