It’s hard to believe that director Abe Forsythe has been dabbling in the movie scene since he won the Tropicana award for his short feature, Guided by the Light of the Lord back in 1998 at the tender age of 16.
Since then, he has carved a career that has seen him mature and expand upon his skills to develop a knack for the unrestful, and unhinged psyche of the human mind, shedding the facade that we project onto others and baring the darker souls that reside beneath. None more so than the 2016 black comedy feature Down Under, which was set in the aftermath of the Cronulla riots.

His latest venture proves that Forsythe is not only a director to take note of, but with Little Monsters is only just starting to hit his stride. By shifting away from crime drama, Forsythe now tackles the horror genre and displays enough confidence to poke fun at the little things such as slow and fast zombies. In this instance, it’s the slow kind ala Dawn of the Dead, but instead of a mall, the shuffling corpses home in on a farm-based attraction.

Little Monsters much like its zombies take a little time to get going, as we centre on drop out, Dave (Alexander England) and his break up from his long-time girlfriend. The montage at the beginning of the film is actually kinda fun and projects Dave in a less-than appealing light, constantly arguing with his partner in highly social situations, and even when he bunks down on the couch of his older sisters place, has evidently still got a lot of growing up to do. Who is the real little monster at play?

Dave quickly rebounds though and thus starts his infatuation with his nephew, Felix’s (Diesel La Torraca) kindergarten teacher, Miss Caroline played by Academy Award Winner, Lupita Nyong’o. 

Nyong’o is simply marvelous here as the kind-hearted, bold, and humble kindergarten teacher, who just so happens to be an excellent kick-ass zombie killer. That’s fortunate.

It’s only when Nyong’o enters the scene that the movie really picks up, which is a testament to her acting prowess and charisma on screen as she provides the beating heart in an otherwise undead genre. 

When Dave accompanies the Kindergarten class in pursuit of his newfound infatuation, he doesn’t anticipate that they are about to encounter the ambling creepers, and team up with Miss Caroline and kids entertainer, Teddy McGiggle (Josh Gad) in a fight for survival and to protect the kids from the real-life danger and dread that lurks all around them. 

The Prognosis:

This may not hit the mark compared to most zombie flicks with a slow-shuffled start, but Forsythe provides a fun ride with plenty of heart, thanks mainly to the performance of Lupita Nyong’o.