What is Monster about?

Should one moment define someone’s life? That’s the question at the heart of Monster, a Netflix drama coming to the streamer this spring.

First released at Sundance in 2018, Monster is based on the young adult novel by legendary children’s author Walter Dean Myers. The film tells the story of 17-year-old aspiring filmmaker Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.).

Steve is constantly looking at life through the lens of a camera. The hustle and bustle of Harlem, the beauty of everyday life, it all fascinates him. His dream, along with his parents–played by Jeffrey Wright and Jennifer Hudson–is to be able to capture what he sees and share it with the world.

It’s why Steve is a film student at an elite high school, and why he’s so interested in the different lives that make up the city he loves. But the city, like any place, has its pitfalls and when Steve gets mixed up in the wrong situation, he finds himself locked behind bars.

Monster release date

Steve has been charged with felony murder, and every dream he and his family had comes crashing down. It’s a nightmare of a reality, one his father never imagined Steve would be in and yet he is speaking to his son in a prison.

Based on the trailer, Monster is preoccupied with the circumstances Steve finds himself in, but the film also takes the time to show the totality of who he is. Steve is a person, a young man who embraced the vitality of life, and now stands accused of being a part of the reason someone has lost theirs.

It’s a duality viewers will be able to see come to life Friday, May 7, when Monster lands on the platform. The film, executive produced by John Legend, Nasir ‘Nas’ Jones, and Jeffrey Wright, looks to be as thought-provoking as its source material.

Watch the trailer below:

Will you be watching Monster?