I was completely torn watching this movie. I had heard of Aileen Wuornos before, due to American Horror Story using her character for their “Hotel” season. Truthfully (and I really can’t believe I am saying this), I feel for her. I see how she is tormented and she is clearly not okay. While I do not agree her killing men is justifiable, I feel we see the hurt and trauma she experiences from her past sexual assaults. She isn’t afraid to say she was a prostitute, or that she would do sexual favors for money, but it’s the same rule for any woman—unwanted advances, regardless of if she is promiscuous or not, are NOT okay. It is sad to see what she is willing to go through for her lover/girlfriend Selby. She knows she loves her and knows she must make money in order to keep her around. Aileen admitted she most likely would’ve taken her life if she had not met Selby, but still, I wonder if she would have committed these acts of violence if she never met Selby. It’s almost like that saying, “Love is blind.” Aileen is willing to even let Selby testify against her, so she can take responsibility for it all. I don’t agree with her ways of getting money, especially since she ultimately does kill all but one. I just am so, I don’t know, confused? I feel Selby is just some basic girl, I guess. But again, I see what Aileen does is because she loves Selby. Romantic? Not sure if that’s the correct term but…sweet (in a sick, twisted, odd way).
I would definitely relate this movie to “The Hunt.” In both “The Hunt” and “Monster”, the women do not let men just walk away so easily, especially when it’s shown how they treat and think about women. Both men, in the book and movie, treat the women as if they are just sexual objects, not treating them like women at all. Both women clearly get so fed up to the point that they kill the men and show no remorse. The difference between each woman is that Mary actually entices her victim, then kills him after. Aileen was tied up and definitely in a situation that I could see why she had to kill her assaulter to get out of it. Aileen did not have plans of killing any men until she was brutally beaten, tied up, and then ‘forced’ to scream as the man was sexually assaulting her (I wanted to throw up because the scene got me too anxious). I personally feel Aileen doesn’t do it to get a thrill. She does it to protect herself—almost like a PTSD from everything that has occurred. She spares one man, who is portrayed to be a person with an intellectual disability, which leads me to believe she felt she was not going to be hurt or in a bad situation with him. Overall, I feel these stories intertwine with their backgrounds, and ultimately, killings of both pervs.
Aileen is also very abusive, emotionally, verbally, and psychologically, which leads me to wonder if Selby could even love her. She could have felt threatened or felt she could not get out, which (sadly) I connect with. I DON’T KNOW! I JUST DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. I DON’T LIKE AILEEN BECAUSE OF HOW SHE IS TOWARDS SELBY. BUT SHE’S DOING IT OUT OF LOVE FOR SELBY???? But, newsflash: that is not true love. I feel like I need to stop here, or I’ll just continue on.