Review of A Monster Calls (2016) by Joey R — 26 Jan 2018

Spoilers ahead!

There will inevitably come a time in a person's life when they are faced with losing a loved one. This is especially hard for a child to face, since mortality isn't exactly on the forefront of their minds. While this gorgeous movie has many themes, its main one is just that, a boy having to deal with the fact that his mother is dying.

What I loved about this movie is how it visually represents the turmoil that the lead character is facing. We sometimes forget as adults the rampant imagination of children; we know it is there but I think we forget how vivid and real it is for them. There are moments in the beginning of the movie where I questioned if the monster is real or just in the boy's head but I think the answer is yes either way: It's in his head and it's in reality as well, because that is his reality so if it's real to him, it's real to me as well.

I feel like this movie is ultimately about love, how love can be beautiful, how it can be a shield and a crucifix simultaneously and how sometimes it can come from the person you despise or at least thought you despised (looking at you Grandma Sigourney).

For me, the success of a movie is dependent on the message it wants to send to you and more importantly how it makes you feel and A monster calls is visual triumph with a beautifully heartbreaking story about life, loss. I loved it.