Inquiring Minds: MONOLITH & THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE

This is the column that digs into the science fiction lover’s world, tackling some of the most complex and perplexing that content allows. Is it weird? Most likely. Do we love it? Yes! It’ll likely be thought-provoking, and potentially illuminating. Intriguing minds unite for the weirdest Film Inquiry Column yet.

This time on Inquiring Minds, I take a look at two recent science fiction releases. Each of these exudes a confidence not always present in feature debuts and their subtle exploration of the genre makes for compelling cinema. Both have a well of potential meanings and takeaways and leave it to the audience to decipher.

Monolith (Matt Vesely)

A podcast about debunking conspiracies takes a strange and horrifying turn when the evidence points to a potential truth that’s too close to home. Lily Sullivan plays a recently fired journalist who is presented as “The Interviewer” who decides to retreat to her family home and start a podcast to get back into the game.

After receiving an anonymous email that seems cryptic but hopeful, she tracks down Floramae (Ling Cooper Tang) who says she was accused of stealing a mysterious brick from her employer. The research is mainly through recorded calls and e-mails and Lily Sullivan is the sole actor that we see on screen. Her investigation leads her down a rabbit hole of findings that puzzle and lure its audience. What does this strange artifact do? Where does it come from? As soon as it is described it becomes another character in the film and it creates a big hole of curiosity and deafening potential.

Cinematographer Michael Tessar does an excellent job within the singular space.  The remoteness of the setting makes for a tense and effective sense of isolation that is palpable. It’ll make your heart sink as we see our lead grapple with the horrifying potential that this could be real. This combined with the impressive sound design immerses us so that we feel like part of the discoveries as they come, with suspicion and an unsettling air surrounding us.

It taunts the audience with that question through quick misdirection and a kaleidoscope of possible answers. Monolith doubles down on the mystery and keeps it building for the majority of the film’s runtime. It is steeped with paranoia and doesn’t shy away from the dangers of conspiracies. As this character continues to peel back the layers it isn’t pretty, it isn’t simple, and the terror we witness is effectively captured. Lily Sullivan’s committed performance is the foundation from which the feature can grow. Some of the character development could have gone deeper, which would have allowed for more of a personal connection to the lead, but as it is, there’s enough to keep us under thumb.

A feature debut from Matt Vesely, and written by Lucy Campbell, there’s real creativity at work here, and in the 94-minute runtime, the sidesteps can mostly be overlooked. It occasionally relies too much on the red herrings and will push the patience with its pacing, but through its eerie central theme and the driving performance from Lily Sullivan, Monolith takes a unique shape.

Monolith premiered at SXSW 2023. For international release dates click here. 

The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future (Francisca Alegría)

A chorus of life and death, rebirth and reconnection, Francisca Alegria’s feature debut is a moving, melancholic rumination. 

When a nearby factory leaks toxic chemicals in the Cruces River of Chili we see fish flap at the surface before they perish. With their descent, we see Magdalena (Mía Maestro), who bursts out of the water, dressed in a motorcycle helmet and outfit. Where did she come from? We soon realize that this is the spot where she had drowned decades earlier. This film packs a walloping punch that’s gorgeously shot and equally thought-provoking. Science fiction is just one of many notes as magical realism is paired with grounded emotion.

Her daughter Cecelia (Leonor Varela) has come back to the family dairy farm after her father has a breakdown after witnessing his lost love, Magdalena, in the flesh. Cecelia arrives with her two children, including elder Tomás (Enzo Ferrada) who she struggles to accept as a woman.

Voiceless, Magdalena begins to reveal herself to different members of her family while the environment faces further devastation. Her presence has an effect on everything around her, from cell phones to people’s feelings, including a scene where she watches secretly and her laughter causes the family to mimic her. It’s creepy and effective. 

Thoughtful and fascinating, The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future marks a striking debut that shows a distinct voice from Francisca Alegria. With mesmerizing cinematography by Inti Briones, Cows sings a dreamy and inviting tune. 

The film hits a lot of chords. It’s got singing cows, healing, grief, and understanding. There is a story of trans-inclusive feminism and the importance of looking forward. It whispers world-size repercussions but doesn’t ignore the internal suffering of the characters.

And what a title.

The film revels in the quiet moments and only occasionally gets lost in them. Overall, it is successful in its intent. It has some potent messages throughout and the beautiful and haunting culminate in a sensational way. It has a deliberate pacing that unravels like a sonnet, an intimate look at ecological destruction and familial disconnect. Humans and animals alike make for an interesting format that takes a minimal narrative and has it ring powerful. Nature sings (literally here) but how we choose to listen and respond means everything. 

Mia Maestro commands the screen with her compelling and near-silent performance. She’s a woman out of time, but her resurgence creates the catalyst for deeper contemplation. Enzo Ferrada is stand out too, delivering some tender moments, especially the scenes between these two.

I found it to be quite profound in its subtle ethereal quality, with a sensitivity that makes it universal. Through its intersecting themes, it remains woeful but not without a lining of hope. I’ve found myself playing images over and over in my mind. This is a film that plants itself firmly in your mind, with a welcomed song in your heart. 

The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future is a meditative and inventive addition that is as wistful as it is optimistic. 

The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future was released in the UK on March 24th and it will open in the US on May 19th. For international release info click here.