Polygon revisits the 2016 film Colossal, starring Anne Hathaway, arguing that its unusual blend of kaiju spectacle, dark comedy and relationship drama has become more compelling with time. The article says the film matters because its monster premise develops into a critique of alcoholism, frustration and male entitlement, rather than remaining a conventional romantic comedy or creature feature.

Hathaway plays Gloria, an unemployed writer with a drinking problem who returns to her childhood home after her boyfriend asks her to leave their New York flat. She discovers that an enormous creature attacking Seoul mirrors her movements whenever she enters a playground at 8:05 a.m.; her accidental fall causes mass casualties and forces her to confront the effects of her behaviour. Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, the film also contrasts Gloria’s self-destructive disappointment with Oscar’s resentment, played by Jason Sudeikis, as their friendship grows more troubling.