Set in a near-future, post-apocalyptic world, Love and Monsters takes place seven years after a global chemical catastrophe triggered during humanity’s attempt to destroy an incoming asteroid. The chemicals, while saving the planet, caused cold-blooded animals and insects to mutate into massive, deadly monsters. As a result, most of humanity was wiped out, and the remaining survivors were forced to retreat into underground bunkers and isolated colonies.
The story follows Joel Dawson, a kind-hearted but anxious young man who has spent years hiding beneath the ground with his colony. Unlike the others, Joel struggles to adapt to the harsh new world. He is clumsy, fearful, and often seen as a burden rather than a fighter. While others have learned to hunt and defend themselves, Joel is assigned small, safe tasks, reinforcing his feeling that he doesn’t truly belong.
One day, Joel reconnects with his high school girlfriend, Aimee, through a radio transmission. Hearing her voice for the first time in years reignites the hope and love he thought he had lost. Aimee is living in a coastal colony nearly 85 miles away, and although she warns Joel that the journey is extremely dangerous, he becomes determined to find her. Against the advice of his entire bunker, Joel leaves the safety of the underground and ventures into the monster-filled surface world.
On his journey, Joel is quickly confronted by the reality of the new Earth. He encounters towering, terrifying creatures lurking in forests, abandoned highways, and ruined towns. One of his first major threats is a giant sand-gobbling crab-like monster, which nearly kills him and teaches him that survival is not about strength alone, but awareness and understanding the behavior of these creatures.
Joel eventually meets two seasoned survivors, Clyde and Minnow, who become his mentors. They teach him how to read the environment, identify which monsters are aggressive and which are simply territorial, and how to fight only when necessary. Through them, Joel begins to gain confidence and develop survival skills, slowly transforming from a frightened boy into someone capable of facing the world.
During his travels, Joel rescues and befriends a loyal dog named Boy. The bond between Joel and Boy becomes one of the emotional cores of the film, representing companionship and unconditional trust in a world where loss and danger are constant. Together, they face poisonous amphibians, massive predators, and natural traps hidden throughout the landscape.
As Joel grows stronger, both physically and emotionally, he reflects on the people he lost during the early days of the monster outbreak, including his parents. These memories fuel his determination to keep moving forward, not just for love, but to prove to himself that he can be more than someone who hides.
When Joel finally reaches Aimee’s coastal colony, the reunion is heartfelt but complicated. He realizes that Aimee has changed, becoming a leader and protector within her community. The world they live in now doesn’t allow for simple, fairy-tale endings. Instead of returning with Joel, Aimee encourages him to use what he has learned to help others survive and connect.
In the final act, Joel makes a bold decision to broadcast a message across the radio, sharing his knowledge of monster behavior and survival strategies with other colonies. Rather than running from the world, he chooses to become part of rebuilding it. His journey shifts from a mission driven by romance to one driven by purpose and hope for humanity’s future.
Love and Monsters combines thrilling action, humor, and heartfelt emotion, telling a story about growing up, facing fear, and finding meaning in connection — not just through love, but through community, courage, and the willingness to step into the unknown.
