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Monster is a 2003 film about the life of female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing seven men in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The role of Aileen Wuornos was played by South African actress Charlize Theron, and her lover Selby Wall was played by Christina Ricci. (Wuornos' lover's name was actually Tyria Moore, but her character's name, age, and appearance in the film were changed for legal reasons.) The film was written and directed by Patty Jenkins.

Much of Theron's preparation for the role is credited to Nick Broomfield's 1992 documentary, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, which Theron reportedly watched clips of between takes.

[edit] Characters

The main characters include:

• Aileen - (Charlize Theron) a prostitute from Michigan who moved to Florida.
• Selby - (Christina Ricci) Her girlfriend; based on Wuornos' real-life girlfriend Tyria Moore.
• Thomas - (Bruce Dern) An old barfly in whom she confides occasionally.

[edit] Plot

After moving to Florida, Wuornos, a prostitute, meets Selby in a bar. Selby likes Aileen almost immediately; she likes that Wuornos is very protective of her, even though she notices that the older woman is severely disturbed. They have a small encounter at a roller rink and quickly become committed to one another, and move into a motel together.

After being raped and brutalized by a john, Wuornos murders the man with his own gun and decides to quit prostitution. Eventually, it becomes hard to pay the bills, so Wuornos tries to find legitimate work. This is not an easy task; she has no qualifications, is uncultured, and has a very bad temper, which she often displays during job interviews. Desperate for money and resentful of the men who come to her for sex, she commits several murders, each more brutal than the last, robbing her victims after killing them.

Wuornos is eventually arrested and speaks to Selby one last time, while in prison. Selby reveals incriminating information over the telephone and Wuornos realizes Selby is with the police. To protect Selby, Wuornos states she committed the murders alone. During Wuornos' trial, Selby testifies against her