Monument (2018)

This week in the A-to-Z Part Deux challenge we’ve got the letter “L” and with it comes Lukasz Kaczmarski (Boom Operator). What’s a boom operator? They’re the one who holds the big microphone on a stick. Their job is to capture on set sound and actor dialogue. So, now that we know what Lukasz does, let’s get to the movie he worked on that we’re looking at today…Monument (2018).

Title: Monument

Director: Jagoda Szelc

Released: August 2, 2018 (Poland – New Horizons Film Festival)

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

Available to stream on: Shudder

A large group of young adults are ready to start their internship at a secluded resort. We’re led to believe that they should consider themselves lucky for the opportunity of interning there. When they arrive, they find themselves to be slightly disoriented before realizing that the driver is no longer in the van. Almost immediately upon arrival they realize this won’t exactly be a walk in the park.

The Manager (Dorota Lukasiewicz) is quick to inform the interns that things are going to be different now. Their names, they don’t matter. Every boy will have the same name, same thing goes for every girl. Each individual will get a turn at doing each task in the hotel. These tasks can range from doing laundry, cleaning rooms, working in the kitchen, cleaning the grounds, or even being on garbage duty.

Each individual has been stripped of all identity, trained to care about nothing but the upkeep of the resort and the satisfaction of the customers. However, strange behaviors begin to emerge. Behaviors and actions that are out of the norm for each character and ones that they can’t seem to explain.

What is it that is causing these behaviors?

Does it have something to do with the resort itself?

Is it a result of the Manager and her training?

Or is there something more sinister behind it all?

Sometimes you come across a movie that you know you’ll need to watch two or three times before you are able to fully wrap your head around it, such is the case with Monument (2018).

First and foremost, it is impressive that this was made as part of a graduation film for acting students from the Łódź Film School in Poland. We’re told this upfront in the opening credits but fear not, don’t let the fact that this is a “student film” fool you. Despite there not necessarily being a “lead” character, you find yourself, at the very least, mildly intrigued by, and invested in, each character and their outcome.

Writer and director Jagoda Szelc is now on my radar. The atmosphere created in Monument (2018) is what drives the movie. All throughout you find yourself just as disoriented as the characters on the screen. Not only will you feel disoriented, but you’ll also carry an uneasy feeling of dread for the length of the film. You feel tense when someone’s work is questioned, you hold your breath when you see a dark hallway, you’re kept on edge the entire time.

Despite streaming on Shudder, this is not your “typical” horror movie. It’s not a blood fest. There is no clear cut “bad guy”. And in the end, the payoff is entirely up to you and your interpretation of the film.

For that reason, Monument (2018) is definitely deserving of at least one viewing. Although, I wouldn’t blame you if you went back for a second or third viewing either.

Well, there you have it. That’s what I thought of Monument (2018), but what about you? If you’ve seen it, tell me what you thought in the comments below!

You can follow me across social media and see what else I’ve been watching on Letterboxd.

Keep an eye on Threads and Instagram this Wednesday to see the crew member we’ll spotlight for the letter “M” and the movie they worked on that’ll be reviewed.