Monos

On a windswept mountaintop eight teenagers armed with rifles guard a hostage and a milk cow pressed into service. Patagrande leads the group as their makeshift society swells and shrinks with hunger, mood and fear. Doctora, a drifting medic, tends to wounds and shifting loyalties while Leidi, Rambo, Lobo and others test the line between protector and captor. The remote landscape itself feels like a tutor, brutal and quiet, shaping each decision. With no clear authority, the kids improvise, bending rules until the fragile order begins to fracture and the pressure of the situation becomes a living force around them.

Directed by Alejandro Landes Echavarría, Monos is a Colombian drama produced on a budget of 1.8 million dollars. Written with Alexis Dos Santos, the film blends survival thriller with intimate character studies, drawing inspiration from the directors' experiences in conflict zones and filmed on rugged mountaintop locations.

Critics noted the film's spare dialogue, extended takes, and moral ambiguity, with a focus on how power and loyalty bend under stress. The performances by a young ensemble bring a peculiar gravity to scenes of routine, cruelty, and fragile trust, while the sparse dialogue invites viewers to read subtext between lines.

At festivals the film drew attention for its stark visual language and ensemble chemistry, helping broaden appreciation for world cinema that centers youth in moral crucibles. It sparked ongoing conversations about the legacies of child soldiers and conflict in Latin America, and it stands as a bold example of cinema that trusts silence as power.

Monos grossed about 1.93 million dollars worldwide, reflecting a limited release that found favor with festival programmers and art house audiences. The film earned praise for its daring approach, helping to raise awareness of Latin American genre cinema and leaving a memorable impression of youth in crisis.