A lot of horror fans think horror has to be gore and ghosts. The horror in this episode is crushing poverty, that denies a young woman her choices. Escapist fun, it ain't. Well-acted, real, and devastating, it is.
21 Reviews
The horror here is poverty
empoweringmanagement2 October 2020
True horror
downstairstvk13 October 2020
What people who continue to claim this series is not horror fail to realize is that this is the absolute horror called real life. Real life. Not like reality tv. These are situations that plague society because no one wants to face reality and what people truly are. Watching the first episode, I was kind of lost until the middle of the episode and then all of a sudden put all the pieces together of what was happening. And then the episode ended and I was left saying "holy sh8t" while binging the next 7 episodes.
A nice start to the series
davidjhuntley4 October 2020
I'd never heard of Monsterland before this and I wasn't sure of what to expect. This episode was SOOO good! The thought behind most, if not all, of the episodes is that the monster is the one that's in us. The monster is built into our circumstances and the choices we make from them. Although it gives me slight Blackmirror vibes, it's definitely its own vehicle. What you initially believe to be the threat is only on the surface. When you dig into the characters and their situations, that's when the ride begins. Excellent episode.
Monsterland...where WE are the monsters
thermann9-174-1603287 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Wrote a review of episode 2 before this one. But I see a lot of similar comments here. I think a lot of people are missing the point of the series. It's not about monsters, it's about the monster within us and what we're willing to do to overcome pain, loneliness and suffering.
Case in point, the female lead isn't repulsed by the out of town visitor as she is intrigued by the freedom that he enjoys.
Viewers are thinking the conclusion is going to be a confrontation between the visitor and the young lady. But it's about the young mother battling her inner demons, trying to determine how far she'll go to try to find happiness.
Try watching another episode. After watching, don't spin your wheels. Sleep on it and try to identify what story you were expecting and what story was actually told.
You'd be surprised what you come away with.
Case in point, the female lead isn't repulsed by the out of town visitor as she is intrigued by the freedom that he enjoys.
Viewers are thinking the conclusion is going to be a confrontation between the visitor and the young lady. But it's about the young mother battling her inner demons, trying to determine how far she'll go to try to find happiness.
Try watching another episode. After watching, don't spin your wheels. Sleep on it and try to identify what story you were expecting and what story was actually told.
You'd be surprised what you come away with.
I want to see this story continue as a series...
the-write-guy13 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
For me, this is the best episode. In part because it feels like a good pilot that sets up what could be an intriguing series. At the end, I wanted to see how Toni's personal journey plays out; does Mr. Grey return and continue to kill; what becomes of Alex; and are the authorities after the killers, and how Toni could become tangled up in this. There's a lot that can be told here across a series, which could be a new take on the X-Files format. (Lovecraft Country is kind of a spin on X-Files.) We get glimpses of this kind of series potential in two later episodes where Toni appears in a cameo and in one pivotal scene in the finale that calls back to this episode.
Maybe a Season 2 of Monsterland could pick up on Toni, Alex, and Mr. Grey in at least one episode. Or maybe switch the format entirely to this. (The Killing is one series that comes to mind that changed its format: shifting its narrative focus mostly on its two police detectives starting in its third season.)
Regarding this episode itself, Dever's performance is excellent. The end is heartbreaking.
Maybe a Season 2 of Monsterland could pick up on Toni, Alex, and Mr. Grey in at least one episode. Or maybe switch the format entirely to this. (The Killing is one series that comes to mind that changed its format: shifting its narrative focus mostly on its two police detectives starting in its third season.)
Regarding this episode itself, Dever's performance is excellent. The end is heartbreaking.
Meh
marshae2462 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
There wasn't really a point to this that tied into the supernatural. What did the skin dude want with her? Why her? Nothing came together. Easy fix but the writers of "horror" are lazy. Would've been better off as a drama with no horror label.
Very very good!
robnero9 October 2020
Disturbing mood and story. It begins unsettled and keeps that momentum throughout. Good actors and direction. Roll with each story, they all have their own in Monsterland. The main actress is from the comedy Booksmart. I had a feeling she'd be able to pull off more, like a Brie Larson and Jennifer Lawrence did. This actress can carry it.
Labels do mean a lot
MsHoneyBee4 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I get what everyone is saying. Basically, this story is scary for so many reasons besides monsters but in a show called monsterland and a man who takes his skin off, I'm expecting to be scared. This show is billed as horror but I don't think this type of "scariness" is branded that way...
Like others have said, the show is visually pleasing and is directed well. The actors are great! But I was disappointed by the lack of scares and the underdevelopment of the character with the skin suits.
Not sure how skin suits lead to giving up your kid, and I think she could have and would have given up the kid, even without the skin suit man showing up...
Unfortunately I can't recommend this episode but I am continuing to watch the series before passing a whole judgement.
Like others have said, the show is visually pleasing and is directed well. The actors are great! But I was disappointed by the lack of scares and the underdevelopment of the character with the skin suits.
Not sure how skin suits lead to giving up your kid, and I think she could have and would have given up the kid, even without the skin suit man showing up...
Unfortunately I can't recommend this episode but I am continuing to watch the series before passing a whole judgement.
Big horror/supernatural fan. I thought it was fantastic
MoistMovies2 October 2020
The direction and cinematography are great. The pacing was near perfect for the story being told. If you didn't connect with the main character at all and her very talented acting then you might be missing a piece that many others have been touched by one way or another, mental health.
Purely a psychological horror which are all to uncommon these days. But from the trailer i gather some episodes will be plenty gory.
So to "NOPE NOT GOOD", how about you give a different episode a try. If you couldnt at least give this episode a 5/10 for cinematography, editing and writing/pacing then i dont no why you bother reviewing anything if those things dont matter to your scoring... You may have found the story and lack of gory horror to not be your taste, but im sure i could pick a golden era classic masterpiece which you'd find boring. Doenst make it any less of a masterpiece. You dont have to like everything.. nor do you have to rate things poorly when this is the case. Gripping story to me and Im already into episode 2 as i write this.
So to "NOPE NOT GOOD", how about you give a different episode a try. If you couldnt at least give this episode a 5/10 for cinematography, editing and writing/pacing then i dont no why you bother reviewing anything if those things dont matter to your scoring... You may have found the story and lack of gory horror to not be your taste, but im sure i could pick a golden era classic masterpiece which you'd find boring. Doenst make it any less of a masterpiece. You dont have to like everything.. nor do you have to rate things poorly when this is the case. Gripping story to me and Im already into episode 2 as i write this.
It's Okay: Different But Disturbingly Vague
Gislef14 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, it has good cinematography and good performances. Kaitlyn Dever is talented, and Jonathan Tucker is talented and creepy. Kudos also to Kelly McQuail, who comes in during the last third and exposits the hell out of the story while conveying bits of personality, both her own and Tucker's character, Alex.
But the story... eh. 'Monsterland' doesn't try to be a new 'Twilight Zone' or 'Amazing Stories' or 'Creepshow. And I didn't expect it to be: fair enough. And I knew coming in that it wasn't "traditional" monster and scares and a horror anthology. But writer Mary Laws seems to be going for something profound and doesn't quite hit it. Is poverty crushing and life-stealing? Sure, but we always knew that. From the original 'Twilight Zone' if nothing else. Ask almost any character that Jack Klugman played.
But Laws seems to be trying to make things murky and philosophical and unstated. But forgot to tell a coherent point A to point B to point C story. Why is Alex so drawn to Toni? There are hints here and there, that he likes her sass. But nothing really concrete. At the end, Toni abandons the child which seems to be the one thing she loves. And it's not much of an abandonment. She just leaves Jack in a woman's car and drives off. Yeah, I get that Jack is a handful and a part of Toni is relieved to be rid of her. But it doesn't make Toni out to be a very likable character.
The only thing that kept my interest throughout the episode with Dever's portrayal of Toni. And how Toni kept working with Jack even if Jack was mentally screwed up because of Toni's attempted abortion when she was a child. But the ending comes across less as Toni embracing a new life, and more of Toni running away from her own bad decisions. Jack is _Toni's_ fault. The young girl didn't ask to be the way she is, and Toni comes across less as someone seeking a new life and more of Toni running away from responsibility.
So yes, it's very sad that Toni was trapped in a dead-end life because of her bad decisions. But it's not a matter of Toni dealing with the hand she's dealt. She dealt the cards: too bad if they didn't come up the way that she wanted or hoped.
I don't expect everything explained: in 'Creepshow' I don't want an explanation for how the genie ended up in the suitcase, in "The Man in the Suitcase". Or how "The Finger" turns into a monster. But at least the stories make sense. "Port Fourchon" doesn't make sense to me. The idea of the skinwalkers, and Mr. Grey, and taking someone's life for one's own, are interesting metaphors. But I'm not big on metaphorical TV. Especially when it's clothed in murkiness and vague plotting.
Or to put it another way... Toni had me as a decent protagonist until the end. She takes off with Jack, they start to build new identities and new lives. And then... Toni abandons Jack with a stranger and $1,000. As I said above, Jack didn't ask to be what she was, and she was what she was because of the bad decision that Toni made years ago. Yes, Toni felt she didn't have a choice when she got knocked up by Donny, and did what she had to. But like I said, she dealt the cards. A parent abandoning her child just to have a new life because the child is too much of a burden... not cool, Mary Laws, not cool. Poor people have choices, too.
Anyone familiar with the original 'Twilight Zone' episode "In Praise of Pip"? It'd be like Jack Klugman's character Max n the mirror maze, seeing Pip, and saying, "Too bad: I was a lousy father and you ended up in the military where you ended up dying because of it. But I want a new life, so FU!" It would have the same emotional satisfaction, or lack thereof. It would make Max a lousy parent: here we get Toni as a lousy parent. Maybe that was Laws' intent, but it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
But the story... eh. 'Monsterland' doesn't try to be a new 'Twilight Zone' or 'Amazing Stories' or 'Creepshow. And I didn't expect it to be: fair enough. And I knew coming in that it wasn't "traditional" monster and scares and a horror anthology. But writer Mary Laws seems to be going for something profound and doesn't quite hit it. Is poverty crushing and life-stealing? Sure, but we always knew that. From the original 'Twilight Zone' if nothing else. Ask almost any character that Jack Klugman played.
But Laws seems to be trying to make things murky and philosophical and unstated. But forgot to tell a coherent point A to point B to point C story. Why is Alex so drawn to Toni? There are hints here and there, that he likes her sass. But nothing really concrete. At the end, Toni abandons the child which seems to be the one thing she loves. And it's not much of an abandonment. She just leaves Jack in a woman's car and drives off. Yeah, I get that Jack is a handful and a part of Toni is relieved to be rid of her. But it doesn't make Toni out to be a very likable character.
The only thing that kept my interest throughout the episode with Dever's portrayal of Toni. And how Toni kept working with Jack even if Jack was mentally screwed up because of Toni's attempted abortion when she was a child. But the ending comes across less as Toni embracing a new life, and more of Toni running away from her own bad decisions. Jack is _Toni's_ fault. The young girl didn't ask to be the way she is, and Toni comes across less as someone seeking a new life and more of Toni running away from responsibility.
So yes, it's very sad that Toni was trapped in a dead-end life because of her bad decisions. But it's not a matter of Toni dealing with the hand she's dealt. She dealt the cards: too bad if they didn't come up the way that she wanted or hoped.
I don't expect everything explained: in 'Creepshow' I don't want an explanation for how the genie ended up in the suitcase, in "The Man in the Suitcase". Or how "The Finger" turns into a monster. But at least the stories make sense. "Port Fourchon" doesn't make sense to me. The idea of the skinwalkers, and Mr. Grey, and taking someone's life for one's own, are interesting metaphors. But I'm not big on metaphorical TV. Especially when it's clothed in murkiness and vague plotting.
Or to put it another way... Toni had me as a decent protagonist until the end. She takes off with Jack, they start to build new identities and new lives. And then... Toni abandons Jack with a stranger and $1,000. As I said above, Jack didn't ask to be what she was, and she was what she was because of the bad decision that Toni made years ago. Yes, Toni felt she didn't have a choice when she got knocked up by Donny, and did what she had to. But like I said, she dealt the cards. A parent abandoning her child just to have a new life because the child is too much of a burden... not cool, Mary Laws, not cool. Poor people have choices, too.
Anyone familiar with the original 'Twilight Zone' episode "In Praise of Pip"? It'd be like Jack Klugman's character Max n the mirror maze, seeing Pip, and saying, "Too bad: I was a lousy father and you ended up in the military where you ended up dying because of it. But I want a new life, so FU!" It would have the same emotional satisfaction, or lack thereof. It would make Max a lousy parent: here we get Toni as a lousy parent. Maybe that was Laws' intent, but it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Good acting but ultimately pointless.
tmjburno3 October 2020
This episode, clocking in at about 50-ish minutes, spent 50-ish minutes on character development and world building. Then that was it. No plot, no scares, and no conclusion - it just ends. If you want to be left confused and frustrated just watch Mulholland Dr.
Kaitlyn Devers is probably the best actor of her age bracket...
orcinusj3 October 2020
... and likely just in general - I truly believe this young woman will grow up continuing to perfect her craft till shes up there with the Streeps and Therons and I better include Robbie who is sensational beyond comprehension - anyhoo, the writing could have sucked but I'd of still given it a 7 for her performance - and for anyone paying attention who wants a protip - any and I mean ANY film or television that has been produced by or in part by Megan Ellison and Annapurna is almost a shoe in for a very good to great (to excellent of course) film or show - (in fact I'm crushing on her so hard just cause she'd saved me with this week's release of kajillionaire and Monsterland - sooooo Kk enjoy yall
Only Suffers Because Story Needed More Time.
bkhazelett3 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I can see this story and the horror version of Bonnie and Clyde ( You will have to watch to understand my meaning cause I'm trying to spoil anything if you haven't). If you have seen it, think a about it. They join up and run off to fight together, taking on new lives as they run. Eventually they would circle back years later to reconnect with the lost daughter, needing her in the end to out smarting the Evil One, or the Evil One uses her in some way to lure the couple in. Now that would be awesome. Someone with serious writing talent should bring that to life.
Morbid and Trippy
sarsmma2 October 2020
Life Is Made of Choices
claudio_carvalho15 August 2022
A man drowns a woman in a lake, takes off her face, puts inside a box, stores in the trunk of his station wagon and drives away. Meanwhile, in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, the down on luck waitress Toni is a single mother raising her daughter Jack, who has special needs, but she does not have money to leave Jack at a nursery and work. When the man stumbles upon the diner where Toni works, he introduces himself as Alex and offers US$ 100.00 to her to talk with him. Later he returns to the diner and asks the waitress Jasmine where Toni lives. Out of the blue, Alex knocks at Toni's home in the middle of the night and offers US$ 1,000.00 to spend the night at her house and park his car in her garage. She accepts the offer, but is curious with the boxes in the trunk of the station wagon. Toni has one night stand with Alex and she steals his car keys to check the trunk, but he surprises her with the open trunk. He asks her to open a box and tells a weird story. When Toni wakes up on the next morning, she sees a woman at home preparing the coffee, and she tells that she is Alex.
"Port Fourchon, Louisiana" is the weird first episode of "Monsterland". The plot is intriguing, and the story of Toni is very dramatic and unpleasant. Her final choice indicates who the monster is in this episode. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Port Fourchon, Louisiana"
"Port Fourchon, Louisiana" is the weird first episode of "Monsterland". The plot is intriguing, and the story of Toni is very dramatic and unpleasant. Her final choice indicates who the monster is in this episode. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Port Fourchon, Louisiana"
Meeting a man of different faces and skin identity changes influences a journey of escape.
blanbrn12 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode 1 from "Hulu's" "Monsterland" called "Port Fourchon, Louisiana is one that's interesting and compelling as it twist and causes change for one Toni after she sees the gruesome and many gender identity changes of people and life. Set in rural Louisiana the story involves a down in the dumps desperate single mom waitress who's cashed strapped as Toni(Kaitlyn Dever) drives a rattle trap car and struggles to find a sitter for her young daughter. Plus Toni and her daughter have painful past memories also yet it's when she meets a loner and drifter in Alex(Jonathan Tucker) who ventures into the diner one evening that things change and get stranger for Toni. Their is some attraction and spice as Toni takes in Alex at her crib and spices the encounter up(Toni looked good in those sexy colored bras!). However the dark discovery is that Alex has a little sport on the side that involves young girls plus after a long night Toni discovers that Alex is a man of many faces and gender skin changes! Toni sees that life and many others are more desperate than her. This causes changes as Toni decides it's time for a new journey and start. Overall well done episode with suspense and drama and good with character development and twist.
Interesting .... Until It's Not
darrylmsmith3 October 2020
Sets up with great development and acting....and then continues with set up...and more set up.....and then.....the writers realize this is for MONSTERLAND not DRAMALAND, so they quickly add some "horror" (note the quotation marks). Once done, with 9 minutes left, they wrap it up.
Disappointing because this could have been really good. As part of an anthology, the first episode should captivate the audience. This does not.
Disappointing because this could have been really good. As part of an anthology, the first episode should captivate the audience. This does not.
NOPE NOT GOOD !!!
duckboy-941712 October 2020
Good, but...
PizzaQueen071229 July 2021
A good story that ended up being anti-climatic. Alex was not really needed. It could've easily been the chain smoking waitress that gave the girl the "speech".
And why was there no retribution for the dude that slapped her (undisciplined) child and knocked her head against a wall. This is the second episode I've seen where a male ahole gets away scot-free. New Orleans being the other episode.
And why was there no retribution for the dude that slapped her (undisciplined) child and knocked her head against a wall. This is the second episode I've seen where a male ahole gets away scot-free. New Orleans being the other episode.
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