When the world around me is in the toilet, some of my favorite escapism is watching movies in which my problems don’t seem so bad. So it is with Love and Monsters, a new film premiering today from Paramount Pictures and available via premium On Demand providers, where almost any problem you’re facing seems small compared to surviving a monster apocalypse. A monster movie with heart, Love and Monsters is monstrously good.

There are few silver linings related to the current coronavirus pandemic, but I’ve decided that an elevated platform for the few new movies being released is one. With so many blockbuster movie premieres being postponed until next year or even 2022, all eyes are looking toward movies that may have only had a small theatrical run in the “normal times.”

Let me tell you, with its broad crossover appeal, this is a huge opportunity for Love and Monsters.

Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner, Teen Wolf) is fantastic in his role as Joel Dawson, a survivor of the humanity-decimating monster apocalypse. Living underground with other survivors, he finds himself longing for the companionship he once held with his high school sweetheart, Aimee (Jessica Henwick of Iron Fist & Game of Thrones). Reconnecting after seven years and untold horrors later via radio, Dylan decides to face his fears and trek through miles and miles of monster-infested territory to find his true love.

Fantastic special effects with plenty of creative creature designs are only part of the appeal of this film – directed by Michael Matthews from a story by Brian Duffield. Duffield has been on a hot streak for “know-thy-audience” stories and screenplays with 2017’s The Babysitter and the recent Underwater, and Love and Monsters follows the trend but greatly expands the audience pool. With high-stakes adventure, pitch-perfect characters (including a dog named Boy), and some “don’t judge a book” preachiness, I found myself enthralled from beginning to end.

It establishes high stakes early on, but Love and Monsters isn’t the gore fest or brutally nihilistic dystopia that is oh-so-common these days. There’s an earnestness in the movie that will have you so worried your favorite characters won’t survive, but that emotion carries you through the movie and keeps you both on your toes and invested in the storyline.

It’s no secret that Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy) is a fantastic actor, and his presence as a seasoned traveler – along with a plucky performance from Ariana Greenblatt (The One and Only Ivan) – helps elevate and propel the movie to greater heights.

I know we’re still getting used to the fact that most big studio premieres cost $20 to rent upon initial release, but let me tell you that with a PG-13 rating and cross-family appeal, this one is money well-spent for a family movie night.

A popcorn flick in the best way, Love and Monsters is the perfect distraction and a highlight in an otherwise dismal 2020. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a perfectly fun October movie soon.