Film

Love and Monsters

Name: Love and Monsters
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Released: 2020
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Dan Ewing, Ariana Greenblatt

A post-apocalyptic road movie that swaps nihilism for heart. Joel ventures across a monster-infested wasteland to find his high school sweetheart, armed mostly with optimism and a loyal dog. It's earnest without being schmaltzy, funny without undercutting its stakes, and genuinely charming—perfect if you want adventure that doesn't demand you leave your humanity at the door.

TMDb rating

3.6

If you liked this

Zombieland2009

Fast-paced zombie comedy with a similar blend of genuine affection between characters and inventive monster setpieces. The found-family dynamic and humour work the same emotional registers.

But Zombieland leans harder into comedy—if you want more pathos and less laughs, this skews lighter than Love and Monsters.

A Quiet Place2018

Both pit vulnerable people against lethal creatures in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Shares the same tense but human-centered approach to survival, with creature design that impresses rather than overwhelms.

But Much darker in tone and shorter on levity. If you love Love and Monsters partly for its warmth, A Quiet Place will feel cold by comparison.

How to Train Your Dragon2010

An underdog learning to work with creatures everyone fears. Both films have that same arc of discovering your monster isn't actually your enemy, wrapped in genuine adventure and real emotional stakes.

But It's animated and aimed at families, so the voice acting and humour register differently. Doesn't have the road-trip element or the human romance.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Love and Monsters

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Adventure Time: Distant Lands2020

Both treat the apocalypse as a setting for character growth rather than despair. The monster-infested world in each is less about danger and more about what it reveals about people when they're forced to find each other.

A cartoon about two mismatched friends traversing a post-apocalyptic fairytale world. Both share a tonal balance—whimsy coexisting with genuine darkness and emotional depth, where monsters are often misunderstood and the real journey is about connection.

But Animated series with episodic storytelling that takes multiple seasons to develop its larger mythology. If you want one coherent narrative, the early seasons feel scattered before the long-form plot crystallizes.

Crawl2019

A tightly wound creature feature that respects its human characters. Like Love and Monsters, it finds tension and stakes without losing sight of what makes you care—in this case, a father-daughter bond.

But Claustrophobic and relentless. This is survival horror, not adventure-comedy. You'll be stressed rather than charmed.

Pacific Rim2013

Giant monsters, big spectacle, genuine warmth between characters, and a refusal to be cynical about heroism. Both films love their worlds and their people without apology.

But Much bigger budget and scale. If you love the intimacy and scrappiness of Love and Monsters, Pacific Rim's blockbuster machinery might feel impersonal.

Warm Bodies2013

A zombie romance that commits to both the comedy and the tenderness. Similar DNA—apocalypse meets unlikely connection, treated with genuine sweetness rather than irony.

But The zombie romance angle won't work for everyone. Some find the premise too precious or the execution too YA-leaning.

The Road2009

A post-apocalyptic journey driven by love and survival. Both films understand that what makes the end of the world bearable is the person you're trying to reach.

But Bleak and heavy throughout. This is the anti-Love and Monsters tonally—beautiful, but it will drain you rather than uplift you.

Stardust2007

A fantasy adventure built on earnest charm and genuine heart. Both films prove you can have high stakes and real consequences while maintaining wonder and affection for your characters.

But More traditionally fantastical than Love and Monsters' sci-fi setting. If you want more grounded monster design, this goes full magical.

Bird Box2018

Post-apocalyptic survival tale that centres on human connection amid existential threat. Both make the journey matter because the people matter, not despite it.

But Frustrating in places and the logic doesn't always hold. If you want internal consistency in your apocalypse, this gets hand-wavy.

The Adam Project2022

Both are sci-fi adventure films that genuinely believe in the power of showing up for someone, even when the world makes it seem impossible. They have the same earnest, unapologetic sentimentality.

A time-travel adventure about a man learning to connect with his younger self across impossible circumstances. Like Love and Monsters, it's visually entertaining popcorn filmmaking that never forgets the emotional core—the desperation to reach someone you've lost.

But The time-travel logic is thin and the plot twists are predictable. It's pure heart over substance, which doesn't work if you're looking for clever plotting or surprises.

Annihilation2018

Both films feature protagonists moving through a transformed landscape populated by creatures that defy explanation. But where Love and Monsters finds companionship and hope, Annihilation finds only strangeness and loss—same premise, opposite emotional outcome.

A mysterious, haunting incursion into an alien landscape. Visually strange and cerebral, it shares Love and Monsters' willingness to let creatures be genuinely alien rather than just threats—it's about awe and incomprehension alongside danger.

But Slow-burn and meditative where Love and Monsters is propulsive. The ending is deliberately enigmatic and unsatisfying to those wanting closure. Entirely different emotional register—beautiful but bleak.