What if Beauty and the Beast did the nasty? That’s (seemingly) the initial premise of Your Monster, the dark romantic comedy horror from director Caroline Lindy, which offers up a more modern, adult take of the classic fairy tale. Or at least, that’s how it appears at first. Far from just an R-rated rehash of a classic story, the film is actually more concerned with a tale about self-worth and female empowerment then it is with star-crossed romance.

Based on Lindy’s 2020 short film of the same name, the film follows Laura (Melissa Barrera), a young musical theatre performer whose life spirals dramatically downward when she is diagnosed with cancer and jilted by her scumbag boyfriend during the development of the big Broadway musical he’s written for her. Down on her luck and heavily depressed, things take an even stranger turn for her when she discovers a monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet. From there, friendship and a sort of romance develop, but this all takes a backseat in the film’s second half, as Laura’s newfound confidence and sense of worth give way to indignant rage.

These lighter, more romantic elements are perhaps the film’s weakest moments. As a romcom, Your Monster has moments of charm but the comedy is massively overplayed by pretty much everyone involved, from the entire supporting cast to the direction itself, lifted up to almost cringe inducing levels at several points throughout. There’s poignancy and a thematic reason to everything that happens, but the humour and performances feel like an overcompensation for the most part, especially in the film’s over-reliance on comedic montage, which begins to grate after the second or third time.

Melissa Barrera carries the majority of the movie with the kind of no-holds-barred performance she’s become best known for though, and gives her all in both the comedic and dramatic department, as well as in the big musical numbers that come along in the final act. Her co-star Dewey fares less well however, and whilst he does his best under layers of impressive prosthetics, his performance too-often feels as though it’s being overplayed for laughs (which subsequently fail to come).

The comedy may miss more then it hits, but the actual dramatic arc is compelling and manages to keep the film on message for the majority of the runtime. Both the leads and the supporting cast shine in the film’s more sincere and emotional scenes, which all helps to keep the audience invested despite the rather uneven comedic aspects.

Sadly this all dovetails into an ending that, though powerful and disturbing, is perhaps a tad reductive in how it frames the actions of the central character. The screenplay clearly wants the audience to feel empowered by the film’s final moments, but in actuality it feels a lot more bleak and tonally off-kilter with the preceding 90 minutes then perhaps the creatives intended. It’s ballsy though, and perfectly realised through excellent choreography and framing.

All said and done though, Your Monster is a decent enough take on the age old premise with enough bizarre eccentricity and flair to keep audiences engaged, even if a lot of the jokes and asides feel perfunctory at best. Enlivened by an excellent star turn from its leading lady and boasting some incredibly charged dramatic moments, Your Monster is a strange beast, but a compelling one for the most part.

Your Monster is released in UK and Ireland cinemas 29 November from Vertigo Releasing