Review of A Monster Calls (2016) by Ben L — 07 Apr 2017

A Monster Calls is a perfect adaptation of one of my favorite novels of all time. It is crushing, moving, happy, sad, funny, beautiful, and haunting, and most importantly, it is all of those things without ever feeling stagnant.

Shifts in tone are fluid and never feel forced, and while nothing is sugar-coated in this unique 'cancer patient' type story, you won't be overwhelmed with emotions after the credits finish.

Everything from the very important things like production design, music, acting, direction to the very subtle details such as the amount of time between lines to movement of the characters eyes is just absolutely perfect.

Nothing feels out of place, everything will keep you engaged, and you will be transported to a world that feels very similar to our own, but couldn't be more different. Lewis Macdougall is fantastic as Conor, a young boy with a very different reaction to bad news than most children, and the supporting cast of very talented actors are perfect, playing the characters exactly as I imagined them when I first read the book.

All in all, this is a movie that shouldn't be missed by anyone.