Review: A Monster Calls

A tale of a boy too old to be a kid and too young to be a man, A Monster Calls spins an imaginative blend of gothic fairy tale and family drama that is sure to jerk a tear or two, invite comparisons to both Jim Henson's Labyrinth and Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, and offer a preview of what Spanish director J.A. Bayona may bring to the fifth installment of the Jurassic Park film series.

Based on the novel by Patrick Ness, who does well in adapting his work for the screen, A Monster Calls introduces audiences to 12-year-old Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall) as he grapples with issues far greater than any child should have to handle. He's constantly bullied at school; his father (Toby Kebbell) is about to start a whole new life in Los Angeles, one that markedly does not include Conor; his strict and overbearing grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) is becoming more of a presence in his life; and, most significantly, his beloved mother (Felicity Jones) is dying of a terminal illness.

Plagued by nightmares of his mother slipping through his fingers and falling into an abyss, Conor finds some solace in his dreams and drawings. One night, at precisely 12:07AM, he is visited by the giant tree from the local churchyard. A menacing mass of limbs and branches that decidedly does not lend itself to Groot-like adorability, the Monster (perfectly voiced by Liam Neeson) tells Conor that he will appear to him several more times in order to tell him three stories. There shall also be a fourth story told, but it is to be done by Conor and it shall contain the truth he has been unable to admit to himself.

And so the stories are told in animations that combine watercolour and stop-motion to striking effect. The first is of a wicked queen vanquished by a young prince who would soon become his kingdom's beloved ruler, the second concerns how hypocrisy can be found in the most faithful, and the third tells of an invisible man who no longer wanted to be unseen. Conor, who's not exactly happy about the Monster's presence in his life, is befuddled by the stories - who's the good guy and who's the bad guy, he wonders to the Monster, who replies that people are a little bit of both. Conor comes to learn that people are complicated, life is complicated ("It's messily ever after," his dad says to him, "and that's OK."), and that letting go can be both torment and release.

A Monster Calls is a wonderful showcase for MacDougall (previously seen in Pan), who remarkably avoids the usual trap of sentimentality and instead touchingly evokes Conor's inner conflict with a clarity of purpose not often found in actors of his age. MacDougall and the filmmakers do a great job of strongly suggesting that Conor may be headed for a full-on mental breakdown. Bayona nicely balances the drama with the story's more fantastical elements and its deep-seated compassion overcomes the moments when the film skirts the edge of saccharine.

A Monster Calls

Directed by: J.A. Bayona

Written by: Patrick Ness; adapted from his own novel

Starring: Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Liam Neeson, Geraldine Chaplin