Review of A Monster Calls (2016) by Ronnie D — 18 Apr 2017

A Monster Calls was far from what I was expecting having seen the trailers. They suggested an exciting and fanciful journey in the world of imagination, with faint glimpses of reality. What they didn't suggest was a dark, often brutally honest tale of grief, misery and the acceptance of mortality.

The lead performance by Lewis MacDougall is impressive, especially during the moments of heightened emotionality, and Liam Neeson's voicework is impressive, bringing his unique brand of gruff fortitude to the eponymous monster.

The special effects, especially in the fairy-tale sequences, are downright fantastic, and it always achieves the tone it's going for, even if that tone is far more horrific than intended. It has some shaky foundations, including a nonsensical and thoroughly irritating bully subplot and a trite absentee father storyline, but it's so brave and unflinching in the way it tackles the issues it presents, and the fact that the pain and suffering is being visited upon a child, so young and fragile, makes it that much more resonant.

It's not an easy watch, and will no doubt overwhelm some, but it's a truly emotional experience, and one that you may never, ever forget.