'A Monster Calls' Review

In A Monster Calls single mother Lizzie O'Malley is diagnosed with a terminal illness and her son Conor must deal with this amidst being bullied at school, tolerating his indifferent mournful grandmother, and trying to forge a stronger connection with his absentee father. One evening Conor is approached by an unexpected ally, The Monster, who will guide him on learning the importance of courage, belief, and truth through the telling of three terrific tales.

A Monster Calls adapts the novel of the same name written by Patrick Ness, who also penned the screenplay, based on an original idea by Siobhan Dowd and while I haven't read the source material, I found the story to be incredibly heartfelt. J.A. Bayona directs the fantastical tearjerker and in collaboration with writer Patrick Ness maintains a nice balance of maturity and creativity communicating the narrative through a child's eyes.

By framing everything from Conor's perspective, Bayona is simultaneously able to explore the imaginative and keep things emotionally grounded by showing what's meaningful to Conor, making the film's final moments all the more impactful. A Monster Calls features a wide range of inventive imagery from the visual effects department with resplendent water color vignettes imagining the Monster's stories similar to the Deathly Hallows sequence in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and a remarkably realistic looking CGI Monster that will undoubtedly be compared to Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, while the real world visuals are exceptionally well-shot by cinematographer Oscar Faura.

One of the script's greatest strengths however is that Patrick Ness has a devout understanding of Conor as a character, providing a transparent window into his profound connection with his mother. Ness' wise choice to engage the viewer from Conor's eyes keep things focused on what's important to Conor and the story, never compromising the character arc by leaving the answers to some story threads up to the viewers' interpretation such as the origin of The Monster.

These unanswered questions may vex some viewers but I think it's a bold choice that doubles down and proves Conor to be a crucial centerpiece of the narrative. While the film's ending is in sight for a majority of the running time, I promise that you won't be prepared for the film's heartbreaking conclusion (bring tissues) and that's just another testament to Ness' strength as a writer and the outstanding performances showcased. It's incredible how fleshed out the world and characters are despite being presented from the viewpoint of a child, a rare occurrence in Hollywood.

I've attested to the sincere performances delivered by the gifted ensemble but perhaps the brightest standout is Lewis MacDougall's Conor. MacDougall puts forth one of the most sentimental and tender child-performances I've seen in recent memory and deservingly joins the ever-growing list of rising stars. MacDougall imbues Conor with a vast emotional range that's exceedingly authentic for how a child of that age would react to personal trauma and continues to amaze by making a 30 foot Monster seem real through everything from simple facial reactions to casual conversationalist dialogue. The Monster itself is something to be applauded as Liam Neeson's gravelly vocals and the stunning animation work hand-in-hand to bring yet another talking tree to cinemas. And one can't forget the talented supporting ensemble of Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, and Toby Kebbell as Conor's Mum, Dad, and Grandma respectively, each making the most of every moment onscreen.

A Monster Calls doesn't just pluck the heart strings, it stretches them out over the course of the first two acts before unmercifully ripping them apart in the film's concluding thirty minutes. That's not to say that A Monster Calls is emotionally manipulative but rather speaks for the passionate and poignant strength of the writing, direction, and performances on display.

Film Assessment: A-