Francesco Calabrese's Lovely Monster (2011) is a short little horror tale, told in the now ubiquitous but still effective "documentary" form. I like the film's quiet moodiness, as one identifies with Sophia, even while wondering what on earth is wrong with her. The first substantial hint occurs when we see a Doctor standing next to one of her X-rays. Thankfully, Calabrese's film does not go the normal route of having Sophia abjectly transform because of puberty or some sort of sexual trigger. She just is how she is, and does her best to protect others. Still, documentary filmmakers are known for their curious, voyeuristic gaze.
Lionsgate is in negotiations with Calabrese to have his short made into a feature. The style and the mood are unique for their relative understatement, and I would like to see that atmosphere spread over a longer time period. Lionsgate also distributed Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods, although if they are responsible for the egregiously long time it took for that film to reach screens, we may not see Calabrese's feature for a long, long time.
