Monos (2019): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Monos is a 2019 drama thriller directed by Alejandro Landes, starring Julianne Nicholson as Doctora, Sofia Buenaventura and Moisés Arias. It runs 1 hour 42 minutes and earned $1.9 million worldwide on a $1.8 million budget. Critics gave it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.8/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 42m (102 min)
- Director
- Alejandro Landes
- Original language
-
Spanish
- Studio
- Neon
- Budget
- $1.8M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Monos About?
The premise of Monos without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
High in the remote, mountainous region of Latin America, a squad of adolescent soldiers, identifying themselves with chosen warrior names, undergoes intense training. Their isolated existence is disrupted when a surprise attack throws their operation into chaos. As the group's carefully maintained order collapses, tensions rise, and the psychological toll of their mission and environment begins to test the fragile relationships between them.
Monos Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- metaphoric title
- hostage
- male nudity
- male rear nudity
- chained by the neck
- one word title
- violence
- child soldier
- gun
- chase
- escape
- kidnapping
+38 more Show fewer
- cow
- river
- female hostage
- dead cow
- strangulation
- helicopter
- uh 60 blackhawk helicopter
- guerrilla army
- hostage video
- suicide
- suicide by shooting oneself
- high on mushroom
- magic mushroom trip
- night vision goggles
- colombia
- escape attempt
- machete
- watching tv
- strangled with a chain
- bare chested male
- urination
- nickname
- doctor
- psychological warfare
- mountaintop
- shot in the head
- rescue
- shot to death
- mountain
- rope bridge
- ambiguous ending
- sex scene
- female doctor
- animal as title
- teenager
- teenage boy
- teenage girl
- cigarette smoking
Monos Cast & Characters
Julianne Nicholson leads the cast as Doctora, with Sofia Buenaventura as Rambo and Moisés Arias. Directed by Alejandro Landes; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Alejandro Landes
-
Julianne Nicholson as Doctora -
Sofia Buenaventura as Rambo -
Moisés Arias -
Laura Castrillón as Sueca
Also Starring in Monos
· 6 more- Deiby Rueda Pitufo
- Karen Quintero Leidi
- Paul Cubides Perro
- Sneider Castro Bum Bum
- Wilson Salazar Mensajero
- Julian Giraldo
Monos Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Monos 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.8/10. Our Echo Score gives it 81/100, strongest in sensory experience (92) and weakest in story & flow (50).
Monos Echo Score Breakdown
Monos excels in its visual and directorial craft while presenting a deliberately elusive narrative. The film’s direction and cinematography consistently draw attention for their immersive, textural quality, creating an atmosphere that is both brutal and lyrical. At the same time, the story’s allegorical structure and sparse exposition leave pacing and coherence uneven for many viewers. Despite this, the film’s strengths in style and performance ensure that its singular vision remains compelling overall.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 88
Art & Craft is a principal strength of Monos, with direction and cinematography receiving widespread acclaim. Observers note the film’s mercurial tonality and surreal compositions, while many praise the garden-to-jungle visual transitions and tense framing. Even critiques of derivative imagery acknowledge the technical precision in editing and production design. Overall, the film’s craft is assured and richly textured, delivering a consistently potent visual identity.
- Character & Emotion 82
Character & Emotion are anchored by strong performances that convey genuine humanity amid brutality. Critics highlight Moises Arias’s career-best work and the young ensemble’s chemistry, noting moments of empathy without sentimentality. Some viewers, however, find background motivations sparse, which can limit emotional connection for those seeking deeper context. Nonetheless, the nuanced acting and emotional stakes sustain engagement and underscore the film’s thematic depth.
- Story & Flow 50
Story & Flow prove more divisive, with the film’s allegorical approach offering originality but also inducing narrative ambiguity. Supporters appreciate the mythic quality and thematic resonance of adolescent anarchy, while many point to episodic pacing and a lack of concrete exposition. Critics and viewers alike mention unresolved plot lines and occasional confusion in the second half. The result is an unconventional narrative that intrigues but can feel uneven in coherence and momentum.
- Sensory Experience 92
Sensory Experience ranks among the film’s most compelling aspects, enveloping audiences in a visceral assault of sound and visuals. Mica Levi’s disorienting score, the tactile sound design, and Jasper Wolf’s contrasting wide shots and intimate handheld frames create an immersive environment. Reviewers describe a hallucinatory atmosphere that is simultaneously muddy and magnificent. In sum, Monos offers a richly layered sensory journey that remains one of its most memorable features.
- Rewatch Factor 78
Rewatch Factor benefits from the film’s striking imagery and layered performances, offering fresh observations upon subsequent viewings. The lush cinematography and discordant soundtrack reveal new textures with each revisit, and the ensemble’s raw energy continues to resonate. At the same time, the story’s deliberate opacity and episodic structure may deter some viewers from frequent returns. Overall, the film’s aesthetic depth encourages repeat engagement despite its challenging narrative.
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IMDb 6.8 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 93% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 85%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 78 Metascore
User score 7.2
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 66% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.7 /5
201 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 3.3 /5
See on Movie Insider
Monos Plot Summary
What happens in Monos from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
On a distant mountaintop, a group known as the Monos, a team of teenage commandos identified solely by their unique codenames, engages in military exercises while keeping an eye on their prisoner, referred to as “Doctora”. The Monos are under the watchful eye of the Messenger, a high-ranking official from the mysterious Organization they serve. During a visit to supervise their training, the Messenger motivates them to push beyond their limits. Amidst this environment, two of the Monos, Lady and Wolf, receive approval to start a romantic relationship. Days later, as a gift for their celebration, the Messenger leaves them with a cow named Shakira.
Full summary
The whole story of Monos, scene by scene
Monos Box Office & Budget
Monos grossed $1.9 million worldwide on a $1.8 million budget, 1.1 times what it cost. $406,473 came from the US and Canada and $1.2 million (75%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$1.9M
1.1× its budget
- US & Canada
- $406.5K
- International
- $1.2M
- Budget
- $1.8M
Monos Trailers & Videos
8 videos: 1 trailer, 5 clips and 2 featurettes.
- Clip Swimming Pools
- Clip Radio Call
- Clip The Messenger
- Clip Roll Call
How Well Do You Know Monos?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the codename of the prisoner being held by the group on the mountaintop?
Monos Also Known As
13 alternative titles, including “Monos - Zwischen Himmel und Hölle” and “Opice”.
- Also known as
-
- Monos - Zwischen Himmel und Hölle
- Opice
- 8 Küçük Asker
- Монос
- Monos - Un gioco da ragazzi
- 모노스
- 猴子
- Οι Μonos
- Обезьяны
- Monos: Entre o Céu e o Inferno
- Bầy Khỉ
- 失控少年兵團
+1 more Show fewer
- MONOS 猿と呼ばれし者たち
Seen Monos?
Movies Like Monos
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Cola de mono, Monolith and Monsters of Man.
Monos FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of Monos, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Monos?
Monos runs 1 hour 42 minutes (102 minutes).
When was Monos released?
Monos was released on September 13, 2019.
Who directed Monos?
Monos was directed by Alejandro Landes.
More films by Alejandro Landes Who is in the cast of Monos?
Monos stars Julianne Nicholson as Doctora, Sofia Buenaventura as Rambo and Moisés Arias, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Monos make at the box office?
Monos grossed $1.9 million worldwide ($406,473 domestic, $1.2 million international) on a budget of $1.8 million.
How is Monos rated?
Monos has 6.8/10 on IMDb, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic and 66% on TMDB.
Does Monos have a post-credit scene?
No. Monos has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Monos in?
The original language of Monos is Spanish.
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