The story of Colossal: A woman, a creature, and a town she can't escape
Colossal follows Gloria, an aimless New Yorker who's just been kicked out of her apartment by her fed-up boyfriend. Broke, directionless, and nursing a serious drinking problem, she does what so many of us fantasize about but rarely do—she leaves the city and moves back to her small hometown. It's there, in the quiet anonymity of her childhood, that things get genuinely weird. Gloria discovers she has a freaky, inexplicable connection to a massive reptilian creature that's suddenly appearing in Seoul, South Korea, and causing absolute chaos. Every move she makes? The monster makes it too. It's the kind of premise that shouldn't work—absurdist, tonally all over the place, demanding you suspend not just disbelief but your entire understanding of how movies should function. Yet somehow, Colossal does work, at least for those willing to meet it halfway.
Behind the making of Colossal: International collaboration and unconventional vision
Nacho Vigalondo wrote and directed Colossal as a genuinely original property—no source material, no franchise obligation, just a filmmaker's wild idea. The film emerged as a co-production between Canada, South Korea, Spain, and the United States, a rare international assembly that gives the movie an interesting patchwork quality. Anne Hathaway carries the weight of the entire premise, supported by a strong ensemble that includes Jason Sudeikis as her hometown friend, Dan Stevens as her ex-boyfriend, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson, and Hannah Cheramy. At 109 minutes, Vigalondo had the runtime to let his concept breathe—and he needed it, given how much tonal ground the film covers. The movie arrived in 2017 to mixed commercial returns; it wasn't a box office juggernaut, but it found its audience among viewers hungry for something that wasn't another superhero origin story or reboot. Movie OTT helps track where these kinds of original, offbeat films end up across streaming platforms, which matters because unconventional movies like this one can get buried without proper visibility. The film earned a 6.2 rating on IMDb, a score that honestly reflects its divisive nature—you either buy into the chaos or you don't.
What makes Colossal stand out: Tone, performance, and refusal to play it safe
What's striking about Colossal is how it refuses to commit to a single genre or emotional register. It's simultaneously a creature feature, a character study about addiction and self-sabotage, a dark comedy about toxic masculinity, and a sci-fi mystery. That tonal instability—which could've been a fatal flaw—actually becomes the film's defining strength. Anne Hathaway delivers a performance that's both vulnerable and comedic; she plays Gloria as genuinely lost rather than quirky-lost, and there's something almost uncomfortable about watching her character spiral while also laughing at the absurdity of giant monsters. Jason Sudeikis, often cast as the charming guy, gets to play something meaner here, and that against-type casting adds real friction to the story. The film doesn't shy away from exploring how Gloria's self-destruction affects those around her, and how her hometown "friend" isn't necessarily as friendly as nostalgia might suggest. Viewers on Movie OTT's community have noted the film walks a tightrope—it's bizarre enough to satisfy fans of surreal cinema, but grounded enough in character that those who prefer emotional stakes can find them. One reviewer noted the film makes "enough pseudo-sense that those turned off by absurdism can handle it," while still maintaining the strangeness that appeals to fans of inventive, unconventional storytelling. The second act does shift into something more chaotic and cartoonish, which some viewers found jarring, but that tonal whiplash is kind of the point—Gloria's life is falling apart, and the movie's style mirrors her deteriorating sense of control.
Where to stream Colossal online
Colossal is currently available on Prime Video, where you can stream it on-demand. Since streaming availability shifts regularly based on licensing agreements, check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page to confirm current platforms in your region. If you're browsing Movie OTT for other genre-bending films with similar DNA—movies that blend creature features with intimate character drama—the streaming aggregator makes it easy to find what's available right now without hunting across five different apps.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Colossal?
Nacho Vigalondo both wrote and directed the film. It's his original concept, which makes it all the more impressive given how fully realized the world feels despite its deliberately surreal logic.
Q: Is Colossal based on a true story or existing source material?
No—Colossal is an entirely original screenplay by Vigalondo. There's no book, comic, or real-world event it's adapting, which makes its existence in the current blockbuster landscape pretty remarkable.
Q: What's the runtime of Colossal?
The film runs 109 minutes, giving Vigalondo enough space to develop both the monster mythology and Gloria's personal unraveling without feeling rushed.
Q: Why does Anne Hathaway's character have a connection to the creature?
That's the central mystery, and I won't spoil it here—but the explanation ties directly to Gloria's emotional journey and her relationship with her hometown in ways that make thematic sense once revealed.
Q: Is Colossal appropriate for kids?
The film contains adult themes including alcoholism, sexual situations, and some violence. It's definitely aimed at mature audiences, not a family creature feature.
Final thoughts on Colossal: Who should actually watch this
Colossal isn't for everyone. If you need your movies to follow conventional narrative logic and stick to a single tone, you'll probably find it frustrating. But if you're tired of the same recycled stories and want something that genuinely surprises you—that swings between funny and devastating and weird all in the same scene—this is worth your time. It's a movie that trusts its audience to sit with discomfort and contradiction. Anne Hathaway's willingness to look foolish and broken while also being the center of a giant monster movie is kind of fearless. Don't go in expecting answers. Go in expecting a filmmaker who had something strange to say and said it anyway.
