NOT for the faint hearted, at any age, A Monster Calls appears to be aimed at children, with a mature message about grief, but even the most hardened of adults could find themselves shaken up after this intensely told story.
While dealing with his mum’s (Felicity Jones) declining health due to a terminal illness and the inevitable move into his stuffy grandmother’s (Sigourney Weaver) house, young Conor (Lewis MacDougall) delves into his own imagination and artwork.
He summons a nearby majestic but fierce-looking tree (voiced by Liam Neeson) who tells him three seemingly random and unrelated stories on three different occasions, but with the condition that upon the final story told, Conor must reveal his own story – a recurring nightmare he has.
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READ NOWMuch like the surprisingly relaxed PG rating that nail biter Jurassic Park copped in 1993, A Monster Calls may look ankle-biter friendly from the outside, but might not be appropriate for sensitive tykes.
However, director J.A. Bayona’s storytelling is assured and pitch perfect.
Aligning the tone with imaginative 1980s kids’ films with dark undertones such as Labyrinth, Bayona refuses to sugar coat the trials and tribulations young people often go through.
From bullying to a dead-beat dad and dying relative, poor Conor goes through the wringer but he is hardly unique.
It is a harsh truth but one Bayona is fearless to tackle and more importantly believes a young audience is mature enough to understand and benefit from seeing.
A Monster Calls can hardly be called fun. It is evident early on that this film will take your emotions to the limit, but it is a rewarding one that delivers a particularly lasting emotional gut punch in its final moments.THE ESSENTIALS
A Monster Calls (PG)
Directed by: J.A. Bayona
Starring: Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones
Four stars
Review by Julian Wright
In cinemas July 27
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