A Monster Calls ★★★★☆

There are some stories which express their necessity for existence simply through the way they leave you reeling as the credits roll. From recent memory, Room, 12 Years A Slave, Inside Out and selected others feature in a list where the artistry of a piece alone have elevated it to “must-see” status. 

  

A Monster Calls from J. A. Bayona and penned by the esteemed Patrick Ness from his best-selling novel, finds its place in this abstract category. It tells the tale of a boy (Conor, played by Lewis MacDougal) whose mother (Felicity Jones) is in a downhill battle with a terminal illness, supported by her own mother (Sigourney Weaver); and to help Conor face this labour is a titanic, terrifying monster (Liam Neeson), borne from a tree in the graveyard past his back garden. The Monster tells Conor three stories which are brought beautifully to life in animation that will remind many of the Deathly Hallows story in the 7th Harry Potter film. The tales, which will have you pining for a pop-up storybook of them, are enriched by Neesons bassy tones, creating a tense and thunderous atmosphere.  

These highlights resolve to an almost unbearable emotional intensity, for viewer and thespian alike. It would be easy to give A Monster Calls five stars purely for the power of pathos it demonstrates. My dictionary fails me in my search to define the feeling – part heartache, part joy, part relief, all tears. It’s one of the most perfect instances of cinematic catharsis, grounded by the gripping performances of the whole cast. MacDougal is a revelation, Neeson is petrifrying and Jones puts in one of her best showings.

The biggest negative is that the dialogue feels somewhat clumsy at points. Some lines appear to have been copied straight from the book; sometimes this is to its credit, as Ness’s writing is succinct and tense. When it fails, it is distractingly unpolished with awkward deliveries.  

However, this seems excusable when considering the films audience and doctrine. The Monster and Conor's mother tell parents and kids alike that it not just acceptable to wear your heart on your sleeve in order to face your own fears and emotions – it is necessary to. Any film that can impart such valuable wisdom in such an affecting manner is perfectly allowed to use a bit of clunky dialogue to do so. And that is the most significant argument for A Monster Calls’ existence – a positive, hopeful, practical message tied to characters you deeply care for, despite their faults and conflicts. Patrick Ness and J. A. Bayona will leverage your empathy and compassion in a beautiful way, wringing out every tear – and you'll come out more whole as a result.