Melissa Barrerais insanely relatable in the first teaser forYour Monster,as a person lost in the dark depths of grieving the end of a romantic relationship. Collider is proud to nab the exclusive first look at this one, which will coincide with thefirst ever live installment of Perri Nemiroff’sLadies Nighthappening now at San Diego Comic-Con. The project is close to Barrera’s heart as it helped shape her mentality about how she’ll pick and choose work in the future, something she opened up aboutduring her visit toLadies Nightback in March 2023during which she also gave NemiroffYour Monster’s official scoop, unveiling the previously unannounced production. Now, more than a year later, and after the movie’sworld premiere at the Sundance Film Festival,we’re thrilled to give our readers the first look atYour Monster.
We’ve all been there. Down, out, depressed, and miserable following a breakup that we didn’t see coming. That’s precisely what Barrera’s character, Laura, is going through in Collider’s exclusive sneak peek ofYour Monster. Her world is over and, even worse, her friends are all tired of hearing her wails of misery. But, all that’s about to change for Laura when - on a dark and stormy night - she discovers that a friendly and chill monster has taken up residency inside her closet.
Blending comedy with horror and a dab of musical theater to really make things interesting, at its big monstrous heart,Caroline Lindy’s feature-length directorial debut is reallyall about becoming comfortable with feeling your feelings—particularly rage. When it comes to the main character, she’s feeling extra rageful after her boyfriend (Edmund Donovan) breaks up with her shortly after she receives a devastating cancer diagnosis. It’s then that Laura moves back home and stumbles upon the charming Monster (Tommy Dewey) who helps her reclaim her life.
‘Your Monster’ Carries Melissa Barrera Into The Next Stage Of Her Career
Barrera was already an established actress in Mexico by the time she broke into Hollywood through her performances on Starz’s seriesVidaand the big-screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musicalIn the Heights. But she rocketed to another planet entirely through her performance as Sam Carpenter in the rebootedScreamfranchise for the fifth and sixth installments. However, last fall, when Barrera waslet go from her partnership with Spyglass Mediafollowing pro-Palestinian posts on her social media, her outlook on the industry completely changed.
And, obviously, while we’ll miss her in the upcomingScream 7, there’s nothing but blue skies ahead for the ever-growing star. Along withYour MonsterandAbigail, the latter of which was released earlier this year, the actress is also prepping for the arrival ofKwame Kwei-Armah’s directorial debut,The Collaboration, which will tell the true story of the unexpected friendship between iconic artistsJean-Michel BasquiatandAndy Warhol. It’s projects like this one that make Barrera’s heart sing and allow her to return to the joys of the craft that she loves so dearly.
Check out the debut footage ofYour Monsterin the player above and stay tuned to Collider for more to come from SDCC.Your Monsterarrives in cinemas in the U.S. on October 25.
Your Monster
After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming Monster living in her closet. A romantic-comedy-horror film about falling in love with your inner rage.
