Anthony Mandler’s Monster plays like an MTV version of Law and Order. Yep, our young director has infused the courtroom drama with some choice stylization that amounts to both an artsy and emotionally profound experience – albeit a rather gloomy one. Sure, there are some odd narrative choices made here and there, but it never gets too in the way of the story. That story is not all that original, mind you, as it is definitely something you’ll have seen before (likely dozens of times on the aforementioned Law and Order program and its many knockoffs). What makes it work as well as it does, however, is the cast. From top to bottom, the performances are wonderful, with even rapper A$AP Rocky showing some genuine acting grit. Our lead, Kelvin Harrison Jr, is easily likeable, making it effortless in our rooting for his legal victory. I would have liked to have seen Jennifer Hudson given more to do here, but what can you do? So, thanks to some top-notch talent involved, and a few narrative experiments, Monster stands as a cut above your average legal drama.