Back in 2010 I remember stopping by The Ritz Theater in Philadelphia and seeing a last-minute screening of a little indie film called Monsters. One of my other film nerd buddies tagged along and we were astonished at how a movie with such a title could contain so few, well, monsters. It wasn't a bad thing, it was an extraordinarily impactful reminder that the scale of a film is what you make it (it was also my introduction to Scoot McNairy, now an essential face in almost all my favorite films and TV shows).

What I wouldn't learn for another 7 years is just how a production such as Monsters could ever happen, and where it would take director Gareth Edwards, now better known for directing Godzilla and Star Wars: Rogue One. For a filmmaker of any sort, to hear this guy speak is like hearing a future version of yourself calling out to tell you what it'll take to get you where you want to go.