‘Monster’ movie review: Kelvin Harrison Jr. shines in predictable Netflix courtroom drama

Based on the award-winning novel by Walter Dean Myers, the drama is a biting, if myopic, commentary on the flawed nature of the criminal justice system

More than three years since its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Anthony Mandler’s Monster is more relevant now than it ever was. For one, the story of a black teen caught on the wrong side of a racially unjust criminal justice system has become an on-screen staple; a case study in how art imitates life. And yet, this latest Netflix release seems to be influenced more by some of its forgettable predecessors rather than focusing on the one’s which did impress. The film is essentially a courthouse drama, where scenes from the past and present are inter-cut at a dizzying pace, to shape a narrative that tries hard to engage its viewers. .