Monsters vs Aliens

Monsters vs Aliens is currently streaming in Australia on BINGE and Foxtel Now, and in the US on Peacock Premium, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Reese Witherspoon leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Available now on BINGE — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Monsters vs Aliens is worth clearing space for. What makes Monsters vs Aliens work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. When Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches. The military jumps into action and captures Susan, secreting her away to a covert government compound. She is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters... Reese Witherspoon and Seth Rogen lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It was released in 2009. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Sci-fi fans who want ideas alongside the spectacle will find Monsters vs Aliens genuinely rewarding. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Watch for Reese Witherspoon in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.