The Monster (2016) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Along a narrow path through the dense woods, Kathy (Zoe Kazan) is driving her 10-year-old daughter Lizzy (Ella Ballentine) to her father’s home for his scheduled custody time. Exhausted from caring for her abusive, alcohol-dependent mother, Lizzy is resolute in expressing her desire to stay with her father permanently. As twilight descends, an unfortunate incident occurs when Kathy inadvertently strikes a wolf with her vehicle. The injuries on the wolf, however, suggest a brutal animal attack rather than the accident.

Feeling the weight of her own injuries from the collision, Lizzy quickly calls for a tow truck and an ambulance. When the tow truck driver, Jesse (Aaron Douglas), arrives and begins to inspect the car, Lizzy notices the wolf’s lifeless body has vanished, sending shivers of fear down her spine. Frustrated from arguing with Lizzy, Kathy steps out of the vehicle to speak with Jesse, only to be taken aback when Jesse's severed arm unexpectedly lands on the hood of their car. In a desperate and gruesome scene, Jesse crawls out from the woods, grievously injured, but before Kathy can offer aid, a monstrous creature drags him under the tow truck, devouring him.

The chaos continues as the monster, drawn by the sound of music from Lizzy’s teddy bear, attacks their car, pulling Kathy out into the open. Luckily, the impending ambulance temporarily frightens the beast away, sparing Kathy's life for the moment. As they tremble in the back of the ambulance, the grim reality sets in when the creature brutally murders the EMT team. In a narow escape, Kathy attempts to navigate away, but when the monster retaliates, she swerves into the trees for safety.

Suffering from internal bleeding and aware that her time is dwindling, Kathy has a shocking realization: the creature is repelled by bright light. She uses her lighter to fashion a torch and shares her daring plan with Lizzy. Deliberately, Kathy intends to lead the monster into the woods so that Lizzy can make a run for help. In a heartfelt moment, she tells her daughter, "You are the best thing in my life."

As Kathy prepares for the worst, believing Lizzy will reach safety, she is suddenly attacked, leaving the monster to ferociously claw at her throat. Lizzy, paralyzed by fear, finally musters her courage and retaliates against the beast with a hammer, managing to scare it away temporarily with a flashlight. The harsh truth dawns on her when she realizes her mother's lifeless body lies before her. Filled with rage and determination, Lizzy lures the horrifying creature towards the ambulance, using a spray can along with her mother’s lighter to ignite a fierce blaze, ultimately arriving at the creature’s demise. Even as it flickers in its last moments, she strikes it with a large stick to ensure it is defeated.

In a poignant flashback, Lizzy remembers a bitter encounter with Kathy, who, fueled by alcohol, had desperately apologized, foretelling that Lizzy would grow to be a far better person than she ever was. With the dawn breaking overhead, Lizzy emerges from the dark woods, signifying her journey towards healing and resilience.

The ending of Monster is a profound reflection on innocence, misunderstanding, and the societal forces that shape our perceptions of right and wrong. Throughout the film, Minato’s lies and the accusations against Mr. Hori create a web of confusion and suspicion, blurring the lines between guilt and innocence. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that many of the perceived threats—Hori’s nervousness, the bullying, the rumors—are based on misunderstandings fueled by societal prejudices and parental insecurities. Hori's perspective reveals that he was wrongly accused, his actions driven by a desire to intervene and protect in a moment of chaos, not by malice.

The story also explores the complex relationship between Minato and Yori, highlighting how societal expectations and family traumas distort their realities. Minato, shaped by his mother’s overprotectiveness and her denial of past family abuses, struggles with internal conflicts about his feelings and identity. Yori’s abusive father, the source of Yori's insecurities, reflects how toxic environments instill belief in monsters instead of safety. The children’s shared moments of happiness in their secret hideaway symbolize their longing for freedom from these crushing expectations and fears.