Guillermo del Toro’s blockbuster provides plenty of spectacle, but the characters who inhabit it are, despite their Shakespearean airs, not vivid enough for you to care beyond the wow factor. But there is a wow factor.

Nearly everything that’s bad about big-budget Hollywood science fiction films is remedied by Gareth Edwards’ debut feature, Monsters. While they’re visually hectic to a fault, Edwards keeps a more measured pace. While they are mostly concerned with getting to the next action set piece, Edwards is actually interested in telling a story. While they’re often so proud of their multi-million dollar special effects, this movie, made for less than half a million dollars on inexpensive, readily available equipment, often looks just as stunning as those films, without feeling the need to show off about it. And Edwards has reason to show off: his effects are seamless, and in the abundant moments that have no monsters at all, this is an absolutely gorgeous film, with the director showing a real eye for composition and lighting, acting as his own cinematographer.