The Monster (2016)

During the opening credits, Lizzy (Ella Ballentine) gives a voiceover about how her divorced, alcoholic mother Kathy (Zoe Kazan) always told her monsters weren't real but that Kathy was actually wrong. Apparently there are monsters out there, hiding in the dark, watching for prey they can kill and eat. Kathy and Lizzy have a toxic, troubled relationship because of Kathy's alcoholism and abusive behavior towards Lizzy, who has been taking care of her mother despite being a young child. Lizzy now wants to go live with her father permanently. Kathy overslept and ends up driving Lizzy later in the day. A rainstorm occurs after midnight, and Kathy decides to drive on a deserted country road surrounded by a forest. An unseen creature slams into the driver's side, shredding the tire and causing Kathy to swerve out of control and hit a bloodied wolf (Meeko). Lizzy calls 911, and a tow truck and ambulance are on the way. Kathy hopes Lizzy's father will pick her up at the hospital, and Kathy will wait for her boyfriend Roy (Scott Speedman) to pick her up in the morning.

Kathy and Lizzy inspect the dead wolf, and Kathy pulls out a large, sharp tooth embedded in the wolf, prompting Lizzy to wisely suggest they go back to the car, since the predator may be nearby. Kathy realises the wolf was fighting with another animal before the collision. Meanwhile, the unseen creature is watching the car from inside the woods. Tow truck driver Jesse (Aaron Douglas) arrives, cautiously shining his flashlight around the area. Jesse tells them no-one takes this road anymore, but doesn't reveal the reason why. The three of them don't hear the growling from inside the forest. While Jesse works underneath the car, Kathy sends Lizzy out to get their phone from Jesse's tow truck, which is locked. Lizzy discovers the wolf has been dragged back into the forest.

While looking at the wolf, Lizzy is unaware of the dark, evil, vicious monster standing behind her. Ironically, the monster doesn't attack Lizzy at that moment and has quietly moved away in the next shot. Lizzy returns to the car and tells Kathy that she found the wolf in the woods, partially eaten. Still underneath the car, Jesse suddenly hears the monster growling. It is unknown if the monster grabs Jesse or if Jesse goes into the woods to investigate. Kathy goes outside to look for Jesse, and Jesse's severed arm lands on the engine. While Kathy comforts her terrified daughter in the car, a severely mauled Jesse crawls out of the woods and tries to get back in his truck, only managing to open the door. Kathy and Lizzy notice the monster (Chris Webb) on the road watching Jesse. The monster walks to the passenger side of the truck and drags Jesse under the truck and eats him alive. The terrified Lizzy accidentally activates her singing dog toy, and the monster smashes the passenger window and pulls Kathy out and bites her. The evil monster is revealed to have sharp fangs, sharp claws, milky white eyes, and wings under its arms.

The ambulance arrives, temporarily scaring the monster away before it can kill Kathy. EMT members Leslie Williams (Christine Ebadi) and John Brooks (Marc Hickox) tend to Kathy's wounds but don't leave right away. Leslie and John investigate the area, and only Leslie returns to the ambulance. John's dead body suddenly crashes into the windshield, which Leslie kicks off. The monster grabs and kills Leslie (Kathy hits it with a flashlight in an unsuccessful attempt to save Leslie). While the monster is seemingly distracted eating John and Leslie, Kathy drives the ambulance down the road, only for the enraged monster to slam into the side of the ambulance. Kathy swerves off the road and crashes into the woods. The monster attempts to kill Kathy and Lizzy, but Kathy shines the flashlight in its eyes, temporarily scaring it away, as it seems to fear bright light because it is a creature of darkness.

Kathy vomits blood outside, realizing she has internal bleeding and will soon die. Kathy tells Lizzy of her plan to use her cigarette lighter and light a torch to lure the monster away so Lizzy can run to the road and get help. Lizzy refuses to leave her mother, and, after Kathy puts out the torch, the monster viciously attacks Kathy, severely biting her neck. Lizzy scares the monster off with the flashlight, and Kathy apologizes to Lizzy before she succumbs to her wounds and dies. Back in the ambulance, Lizzy takes her mother's lighter and a spray can. Lizzy activates her singing dog toy to lure the monster back to the ambulance. Outside the ambulance, Lizzy uses the spray can and lighter to set the monster on fire, killing it. However, the monster attempts to kill Lizzy one last time, and Lizzy beats it to death with a large stick. As the sun rises, Lizzy remembers when Kathy had apologized to her back at home and was willing to try to be a better mother and heal their strained relationship.

Lizzy walks out of the woods onto an open field and presumably goes to her father's house, no longer afraid of monsters after the terrifying ordeal. Lizzy and Kathy did love each other despite Kathy's alcoholism and abuse. Their encounter with the monster brought them closer together before Kathy was killed by the monster. Before the end credits, Lizzy repeats her voiceover about monsters being real.