This story is so true to our world right now...
New movie Monster sees a black teen on trial accused of murder. But is he really the monster they say he is? EMMA JOHNSON finds out more
ASMART, well-liked black student from a top school finds himself facing life in prison for a murder he swears he didn’t commit. The subject matter of hardhitting new movie Monster could not be more timely, given the current focus on the justice system and its treatment of people of colour.
Jennifer Hudson, who plays the boy’s mother, certainly thinks so.
“It is right on time and it’s so necessary,” the Oscar-winning actress told Reuters.
“I don’t think it would have had a more important impact than it will coming out now,”
Monster sees Steve Harmon, a 17-year-old from Harlem, accused of conspiracy to murder after the botched robbery of a convenience store ends in the owner’s death.
Portrayed by the prosecution as a monster, Steve is put on trial.
But is the gifted would-be film-maker from a loving family, really guilty of a horrific crime? Or is he trapped in a rigged cycle from which kids like him rarely escape?
Taking on the role of the teen in the dock is one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars Kelvin Harrison Jr.
The 26-year-old from New Orleans, who began his career with small roles es in movies like Ender’s Game and 12 Years A Slave, is certainly no stranger to challenging roles and playing complicated young men.
His performance in 2018’s Monsters and Men, about the police killing of a black ack man, and 2019’s Waves, which saw him playing a high school wrestler whose promising career ends in tragedy, both garnered praise from critics.
“So often you see young African Americans depicted as just one type, or someone who doesn’t necessarily represent me. But Steve is so real, so introverted, smart and observant,” says Kelvin, who was nominated for Bafta’s EE Rising
Star award in 2020.
“Steve being a film-maker and so in touch with everything going on around him, I felt was something that hasn’t been seen in this kind of story before. That alone made me gravitate to him. I’ve often felt different and I like that Steve moves to his own drumbeat. I admired him so much,”
Based on the book by Walter Dean Myers, Monster, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival before being picked up by Netflix, is director Anthony Mandler’s M feature film fil debut.
“I was deeply moved by Monster, Mo by the importance of it, at this time we are living in, and with all that is happening with mass incarceration… but also by the connection to my own life,” says the film-maker who has created music videos for the likes of Beyonce and Rihanna.
“I felt close to Steve, to his desire to experience everything, to kind of walk on the razor’s edge.”
Anthony says he wanted to bring to the screen what it’s like to be a bewildered teen plucked from everyday life and thrust into the prison system.
“I wanted to get into all the nuance of who Steve is, how he got here and what he did or didn’t do in all its shades of grey as opposed to how the law looks at things: in black ink on white pages.
“Then, as a viewer, you can make your own decision about what justice means in his case.”
He continues: “Kelvin read one scene and I knew he was Steve. He created such an emotionally true portrait of a kid who is sort of cool, sort of dorky, who tries to be a chameleon everywhere he goes but can also be easily manipulated.
“I am humbled and excited to bring an incredible actor like Kelvin to the forefront.”
Westworld star Jeffrey Wright, who is soon to be seen in the new Bond movie No Time to Die, plays Steve’s father.
Says Jeffrey: “As a parent, I understood this father’s perspective and I was moved by him. He wakes up to a parent’s most dreaded nightmare:
that this person you’ve tried to guide in the most constructive and careful ways has nevertheless slipped through one of the cracks of the city and wound up accused of a terrible crime.”
Washington-born Jeffrey, 55, sees the movie as a cautionary tale for parents and for young adults, but also for society.
“When you are 17, and vulnerable to all kinds of impulses as we all are at that age, a single mistake can define you. The question that is raised is how can families protect their kids when the stakes are so high?” he says.
Jeffrey and Chicago-born singer and actress Jennifer make a dynamic pairing on screen.
“I felt this story was so true to our world right now,” says the 39-yearold Dreamgirls star and mum-ofone. “We see so many people in jail, but we never get a chance to see how a kid like Steve winds up in this situation, at least not through his perspective.
“You can only understand other people when you take the time to look at life through their lens, and that’s what I think the film gives you.”
The two-time Grammy award winner is not the only music star in Monster. The movie also features rapper A$AP Rocky and MC Nas, while John Legend’s production company Get Lifted also came on board.
The project was clearly a good fit for John who has long been outspoken about criminal justice reform.
“Monster is about something really important to me: incarceration and how young people get caught in the system,” says the 42-year-old.
“I’ve spent a lot of time visiting jails and I’ve seen that what happens to Steve happens frequently. There’s been a lot of talk lately in America about how to make the justice system more fair, but we’re not there yet.
“We have to decide what kind of society we want to be: do we want to be the most incarcerated society in the world or do we want to invest in all our young people?”
Monster is on Netflix now