Film Review: A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls
19 August 2017
108 mins
PG-13
J.A. Bayona (Director)
Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Liam Neeson
Drama/Fantasy

A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mother's terminal illness. (IMDB Synopsis)



First of all, I would like to thank @WalkerBooksAus and @ThoughtsbyTash for the free double pass to this film that I won in their recent giveaway.


If not for the pass, this is a film I probably would not have seen--at least not until it was on TV. I've not read the original book; however, the story idea interested me, which is why I entered the giveaway. I'm glad I got to see it as I found it to be an emotional and intense film that offered plenty for adults as well as children. I cried so much that I gave myself a headache by the time the credits rolled, but that wasn't a bad thing. I thought the blend of drama and fantasy worked well, and the cast all did a great job. The effects looked great, and I especially enjoyed the animated, watercolour-like depictions of the monster's stories. Liam Neeson did some good voice work, though a part of me kept expecting one of his stories to be about a man who goes on the rampage after his daughter is kidnapped! :) Overall, A Monster Calls is a very enjoyable movie and deserving of 4 stars.