Review of A Monster Calls (2016) by Chandler P — 06 Jan 2017

I read Patrick Ness' dazzling novel in a state of awe and heartache. The book wrecked me with its ingenious mixture of coming-of-age drama with fantastical fantasy storytelling. I've been excited about the film for a while now and it is the rare occurrence in which the film is as good as the book.

No major scene or memorable line of dialogue has been lost in translation. A Monster Calls is a thrilling, heartwrenching, and visually dazzling piece of cinema. It is a masterpiece. Lewis MacDougall gives an Oscar worthy performance in a perfectly modulated and mature tour de force.

He is stunning as is Sigourney Weaver as the seemingly cold grandmother who reveals layers of depth to her steely presence. Felicity Jones is heartbreaking in a masterful performance as a dying woman.

Her bedside speech is absolutely wrenching. This was the film I needed to see right now. It isn't joyful necessarily but in its strange way, it is uplifting and even hopeful. It teaches the truth through brilliant watercolor scenes and while the harsh realities the film proposes are sad, they are ultimately real and highly cathartic to those who are going through similarly difficult situations.

See A Monster Calls. You won't stop sniffling but you might feel as if a kind of release and relieve has overcome you by the end. Hopefully the film won't be overlooked come Oscar time (it should get nods for Best Picture, Actor, 2 Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Score and Visual Effects if it were up to me), but if it is looked over, it doesn't diminish the impact of this films poignant and powerful story.

Rating: 95.