His Monster movie review - new film by Erich Cannon starts a US tour in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 8 with a secret (unlisted) screening at Brewvies
By Sujewa Ekanayake
Programmer - 3I/Atlas Film Festival, Brooklyn
His Monster is a strong, heartfelt, well made and beautifully photographed indie horror-drama. At around 87 minutes, it's tight and focused, telling the story of James Streeter (Gabe Casdorph), a struggling alcoholic whose young daughter mysteriously disappears. Devastated and convinced a monster is responsible, James retreats to the lush Oregon woods, hunting for the creature while everyone around him thinks he's lost in grief and denial.
The film works beautifully on two levels. First, it's a solid creature-feature setup with real atmosphere: misty forests, rainy trails, shadowy glimpses of something out there - all filmed beautifully. Cannon draws clear inspiration from The X-Files monster-of-the-week episodes—practical effects, mystery over cheap jumpscares, and that slow-building unease.
The monster itself feels grounded in folklore, never fully explained or over-shown, which makes it scarier and more effective. But the real power comes from the emotional core. Cannon, drawing from his own recovery (he's been sober for over five years), treats addiction and guilt as the true horrors. Streeter isn't a monster-slaying hero; he's a broken dad using the hunt to avoid facing his failures. Casdorph gives a raw, lived-in performance—his eyes carry a lot of pain, his body language shows a man collapsing under shame. Supporting roles, especially Meranda Long as a concerned friend trying to reach him, add quiet warmth and realism without stealing the spotlight.
As mentioned earlier, the cinematography stands out - it's at a top indie/Hollywood level. Shot on location in Oregon, the film looks gorgeous in a natural, moody way—deep greens, gray skies, golden light breaking through the trees, water everywhere as a constant motif. It feels immersive - like you're right there in the damp woods with the main character. The visuals pull you in and stay with you. Cannon keeps things simple, honest, and personal, but with a touch of excellent X-Files inspired filmmaking - using horror to shine a light on grief and addiction without preaching. Also the monster is well designed - looks like a lot of thought and work went into the monster. Cannon might do well as a director of a future Predator movie.
The movie won Best Picture at the 2025 Old Towne Film Festival in Santa Ana, California, and now it's hitting the road on a US theatrical tour (starting in Salt Lake City, Utah on 3/8 and heading to places like Portland, Seattle, New York City, and many more). I'm thrilled to bring it to the 3I/Atlas Film Festival in New York City this April - more information soon on that appearance.
As mentioned earlier, the cinematography stands out - it's at a top indie/Hollywood level. Shot on location in Oregon, the film looks gorgeous in a natural, moody way—deep greens, gray skies, golden light breaking through the trees, water everywhere as a constant motif. It feels immersive - like you're right there in the damp woods with the main character. The visuals pull you in and stay with you. Cannon keeps things simple, honest, and personal, but with a touch of excellent X-Files inspired filmmaking - using horror to shine a light on grief and addiction without preaching. Also the monster is well designed - looks like a lot of thought and work went into the monster. Cannon might do well as a director of a future Predator movie.
The movie won Best Picture at the 2025 Old Towne Film Festival in Santa Ana, California, and now it's hitting the road on a US theatrical tour (starting in Salt Lake City, Utah on 3/8 and heading to places like Portland, Seattle, New York City, and many more). I'm thrilled to bring it to the 3I/Atlas Film Festival in New York City this April - more information soon on that appearance.
If you spend any time in the Wild West that is Facebook groups about indie filmmaking, you will see that most filmmakers are focused on getting their films on Tubi to make tiny amounts of money per viewer over time (also Facebook has some filmmakers who make a lot of badly made/badly photographed horror movies who think they are major figures in the film industry and do not understand indie theatrical distribution - that's another story for another day). Cannon has grander ambitions - he wants to play in a lot of movie theaters. Luckily His Monster is a movie that is ideal for the theaters - so, catch it at a theater if you can.
If you like character-driven horror that blends the supernatural with real human pain— something like an old Star Trek morality story episode, or an episode of The Twilight Zone, or, as mentioned - The X-Files in the Pacific Northwest—His Monster is worth seeking out. It's moving, atmospheric, and sticks with you long after the credits roll. His Monster is a very well made indie/arthouse monster movie.
If you like character-driven horror that blends the supernatural with real human pain— something like an old Star Trek morality story episode, or an episode of The Twilight Zone, or, as mentioned - The X-Files in the Pacific Northwest—His Monster is worth seeking out. It's moving, atmospheric, and sticks with you long after the credits roll. His Monster is a very well made indie/arthouse monster movie.
8/10
