Soulm8te’s Lily Sullivan Has an Underrated Sci-Fi Horror Movie You Need to Watch First
Lily Sullivan's stock is on the rise in 2026, but there's an older film of hers you really should watch immediately.
Sullivan first came to the attention of the horror crowd as Beth in Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise. Her character was exceptionally resilient in the face of her family being torn apart by Deadites, a dab hand with a woodchipper, and became an instant hit with fans. While we’re still waiting to see whether Beth makes a return to the Evil Dead universe, Sullivan can next be seen in Soulm8te, a film set within the M3GAN universe.
In between these two massive properties, Lily Sullivan sneakily starred in Monolith, one of the most chilling and affecting sci-fi conspiracy horrors in recent years.
What Is Monolith About?
In Monolith, Lily Sullivan plays a nameless and disgraced journalist who turns to podcasting to try to salvage her career. Her podcast, ‘Beyond Believable’, invites guests to share stories of their own strange experiences as she casts her investigative journalist eye over their tale. However, a story involving a weird black brick takes on a life of its own after she begins receiving messages from others who have encountered one. Her search into the origins of the strange artefact uncover links to alien conspiracies and a dark secret of her own.
Earlier this year, Undertone won over the horror crowd with its creepy podcast story, but Monolith was around long before that. Here, the focus is on a potential extraterrestrial threat rather than anything demonic, but both films share the same creepy atmosphere. As with Undertone, Monolith is all about the sound design as the audience is drawn into the headphones of Sullivan’s reporter. While it is not quite as unsettling as Undertone, there are still plenty of moments of near-suffocating tension and the added bonus of an impressive and wild ending that needs to be experienced to be believed.
The conspiracy at the heart of Monolith will speak to anyone who, like The X-Files’ Fox Mulder, wants to believe. As the mystery is slowly unravelled it becomes more perplexing and conspiracy aficionados will have a blast dissecting these strange bricks that are materialising across the globe, covered in writing from no known language. The unfolding drama would fit right into The X-Files, but its low-fi sci-fi nature also sees Monolith nestle alongside Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt — a movie which sees two residents of an apartment building begin documenting the strange anomalies occurring within the walls of one of their flats.
Is Monolith Connected to Soulm8te or M3GAN?
Although the strange bricks in Monolith could be an advanced technology, sadly they are not a part of the M3GAN or Soulm8te universe. The only connection between those films and Monolith is star Lily Sullivan, who plays ‘lovebot’ Sara. After the death of his wife, a man purchases Sara to keep him company, but she soon turns deadly. Directed by You Are Not My Mother’s Kate Dolan, Soulm8te is being teased as a throwback to ‘90s erotic thrillers, with a healthy sprinkling of technological terror.
Why Lily Sullivan’s Performance Makes Monolith Worth Watching
Set entirely within the house of Sullivan’s character, the actress is the only person ever seen on-screen. Every interaction that she has with someone else is either by e-mail, phone call, or podcast recording, making it an isolated performance. Sullivan manages the pressure well, and there's a real intimacy formed between her interviewer character and the audience.
Sullivan’s performance in Monolith is very different to that seen in Evil Dead Rise. That film was all noise and carnage, with Sullivan spending most of the runtime covered in blood. Monolith is a complete shift in tone and pace, with Sullivan sharing during press for the film that the primary reason she chose the project was to be able to decompress from all of the Deadite chaos. The actress views Monolith as a palate cleanser, but relished the challenges it provided of having to showcase a more introspective performance. The result is completely absorbing and proof that Sullivan has a wide range to her acting prowess.
Where to Watch Monolith Online
Australian fans can watch Monolith for free right now on JustWatch TV, but you can also find it in the UK across a variety of digital platforms including Prime Video, Apple TV, and Sky Store.
