Larry Fessenden’s Trauma, or Monsters All

Contrary to popular belief, monsters are very social, especially those in the classic Universal tradition. Remember, Frankenstein met the Wolf Man and then they all got together at Dracula’s House. This will be a similar get together, featuring the vampire from Habit, the Frankenstein Monster-like Adam from Depraved, and the werewolf from Blackout, all directed by Larry Fessenden. It is a modern monster mash, but that is bad news for the beleaguered upstate New York town of Talbot Falls in Fessenden’s Trauma, or Monsters All, which is now playing in New York.

Fittingly, Talbot Falls was the site of a werewolf rampage in Blackout. Things got really messy, but it ended when Charley Barrett’s girlfriend Sharon Hammond shot him with a silver bullet. However, he managed to stagger away and his body was never recovered, so we know what that means.

Somehow, Adam, the stitched-together man created by Dr. Henry, with the financial backing of the rich arrogant hipster Polidori, found his way to Talbot Falls, where he secretly shelters Barrett, securing him during full moons. Unfortunately, they happen to live next to Cassandra, a librarian struggling to write a biography of George Washington Carver. For a palette cleanser, she writes a piece about Talbot Falls’ “trauma,” piecing together the spotty reporting and online rumors regarding Barrett and Adam.

This basically causes the small town to lose its mind. Her piece also attracts Sam, the vampire from Habit, who is curious to meet other monsters. Maybe Cassandra is right. Talbot Falls needs to face its trauma, but ironically, her story inevitably produces much more trauma.

Frankly, Cassandra and her co-worker-potential love interest Agnes are the film’s weakest links. Plus, the former’s incessant ideologically charged voice-overs regarding Carver come across as pretentious and ponderous.

Conversely, the relationship between Barrett and Adam is weirdly powerful. It seems like it is not a coincidence Adam is the namesake of the Frankenstein Monster-like figure in Dark Shadows played by Robert Rodan. In fact, Alex Breaux brings a similar pathos to the role.

Addison Timlin is also terrific as Hammond, who wrestles with her guilt and concern for Barrett. Fessenden probably supplies the film’s creepiest work as Sam, while Alex Hurt convincingly portrays Barrett’s messily conflicting feelings regarding his recent history. Once again, John Speredakos’s Pastor Francis emerges as one of the film’s most interesting and most sympathetic characters. Honestly, if there is another film in the “Trauma World,” it should focus on him.

Trauma, or Monsters All represents a considerable improvement over Blackout. Fessenden manages to pull off a Universal-style monster party, through a chain of events that never feels gimmicky or forced. The viewing experience will be undeniably richer for patrons who have relatively fresh memories of the three prior films, but Fessenden incorporates enough flashbacks to allow newcomers to easily follow the story. However, it could have been tighter and tenser if Fessenden (as his own editor) had cut out ten minutes of politically-oriented voiceovers and offhand remarks. Still recommended for fans of the three archetypal monsters, Trauma, or Monsters All is now playing in New York at the IFC Center.