A Monster Calls

   It's rare for me to be moved by a film. Most dark fantasy flicks fizzle out, mainly due to sloppy use of CGI coupled with an inane tale overly saturated with tropes. I've been disappointed too many times. So, with no small amount of trepidation, I settled in to watch A Monster Calls on Netflix.

A Monster Calls is the story of a 12-year-old boy (“too old to be a kid, too young to be man”) trying to come to terms with the fact that his mother is dying. Its extraordinary power lies in the interweaving of the fantastical and the everyday.*

It performed poorly at the box office. I suspect it was crappy marketing coupled with heavy competition when released in the US. I had not heard of this film but, in truth, I'm glad I didn't. It would not have had as much impact on me back in 2016. Currently, it packs a wallop after a year of personal loss and grief.

I won't ruin the experience for you. No spoilers here except to say that you don't watch this movie; much like the monster, the story embraces you and draws you deeply into it.

What makes it so distinctive is its very barbed storytelling style – its readiness to show its characters at their most vicious and destructive rather than to make them objects of pity.*

Those dealing with a loved one with a terminal illness, or the grief of losing a loved one to it, will find solace of a sort.

I found myself in the boy's shoes. Like Conor, I watched a parent grow weaker over time. I experienced the same rage and guilt. I tasted the same grief. I bawled my damn eyes out during the final twenty minutes of this film, trapped in that emotional paradox. And, like Conor, I finally understand and accept ... well, you need to see the movie to understand that transformation.

None of it would have worked without the talents of Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Liam Neeson - their depth is breathtaking.

But I'm not a movie reviewer, and my opinions don't normally echo the thoughts of those professionals. SEE THIS MOVIE is the best I can offer. It really is worth your time.

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* Geoffrey Macnab, "A Monster Calls review: Emotionally searing film which isn't afraid to let the monster out", Independent, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/monster-calls-review-film-liam-neeson-tree-felicity-jones-a7500131.html (accessed February 13, 2021).