Answer the ‘Monster’s Call’ (Review)

A+Monster+Calls+will+leave+you+weeping.

Courtesy of Hanover R/C Theatre

“A Monster Calls” will leave you weeping.

When you call for a monster, you don’t know what will show up…

A Monster Calls is a story about Connor O’Malley (Lewis MacDougall), a boy in his middle years who has a monstrous problem: his mom, Lizzy, (Felicity Jones) has cancer.  

The movie opens up with him taking care of himself and doing things a mom typically does for her child. After a hard day consisting of bullies and a unforgiving school environment, Connor comes home to his mother in her fragile state being berated by her mother/his grandmother, only referred to as Grandma (Sigourney Weaver).

She thinks that Connor is better off staying with her to adjust to another life and Connor is not having it. He wants to stay with his mom for the duration of her time. Connor is still holding on to hope that his mother will survive and it seems to him that everyone else seems to have given up. 

While Connor stews in his despair and his frustration with the world, something happens, a suspenseful and spectacular entrance of a monster made out of a tree in the distance that has always been an iconic point in his life. This is the Monster (voiced by Liam Neeson).

He talks to Connor and says that he will visit him and tell him three tales and then Connor will tell him one. The plot of the movie becomes darker and more artsy from this point. Everything else that happens is so impactful, it would be a disservice to the reader to include in this review.

However, the tales that the Monster tells Connor are put into a animation, watercolor animation. It is visually stunning, absolutely beautiful. This is done because Connor is a passionate artist. The Monster is also done really well. He looks very realistic without being too much like a cardboard cut out. Visually, this movie was very unique and amazing to see.

This modern age is a great one for movies, with the graphics and the new actors coming to light and this movie is an amazing example.

There were few to no flaws in this film, one of them being that there was another character that if you blink you might miss him. Connor’s Dad  (Toby Kebbell) came around at one point to talk to him, but the movie did little with this character. He served no purpose to the plot or Connor’s character, except just another adult for him to yell at.

However, this was a small blemish on a masterpiece. There is the theme of loss and it becomes very relatable for anyone who has had to deal with this kind of loss. Most important thing someone needs to know before seeing this movie: bring tissues.

I rate A Monster Calls 4.5/5 and a 9/10, a must see.