Review of A Monster Calls (2016) by Dann M — 23 Sep 2017

Painfully predictable and trite, A Monster Calls is a macabre and overly melodramatic coming-of-age film. The story follows a young boy who seeks the help of a mysterious tree creature when his mother becomes terminally ill.

Unfortunately, the boy's not a very sympathetic character; reacting with violence and anger to everyone and everything around him (which gets really tired really fast). It's cliché. However, the stories that the monster tells are rather interesting, as is the animation used in them.

And, Liam Neeson does an incredible job at voicing the monster; making him threatening and dangerous, with an air of ambiguity as to whether he's an agent of good or evil. Additionally, the score is emotionally evocative and compliments the scenes especially well.

A Monster Calls is formulaic and heavy handed, yet it does have its heartwarming moments.