A Monster Calls

A good horror movie makes you scream, the best comedies make you laugh out loud. I'm man enough to admit that I shed tears during "A Monster Calls". This dark fantasy/drama is kind of like the cinematic equivalent of having your parents say that they're not angry, they're disappointed in you, but in a good way. It cuts deep, right to your core and speaks the truth. It’s moving and thought-provoking.

Conor (Lewis MacDougall) is bullied at school, lonely at home, and in his dreams, he tosses and turns while worrying about his gravely ill mother (Felicity Jones) While his strict grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) comes over to look after them, a monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) arrives at Connor's bedroom window and offers to help.

This movie is about a lot of things. Yes, it's about a giant tree monster that can stomp things flat, but at its core, it's about feelings and lessons that need to be learned. It talks about grief, rage and the relationship between these two emotions in a manner that I found very powerful. It’s made that much more effective by having a young protagonist deal with them. It packs a punch.

“A Monster Calls” is an emotional experience. There’s a difference between a picture that’s emotionally manipulative or sappy and one like this. One shot, in particular, stuck out to me. It's a distinct moment where Conor suddenly grows up. It's just a shift of the eyes and the look on his face, but you can see it; you just know. Credit goes to the young actor. It's bold in its storytelling by mixing moments of dark fantasy and real-life. It concludes in a pitch-perfect ending that nails it.

On top of all that, it's a wonderfully constructed piece. There are bold visuals throughout that use watercolors and animation brilliantly – they brought me back to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1". I enjoy films about illustrators (Conor spends much of his time drawing) and director J. A. Bayona uses this creative aspect of the story very effectively. Additionally, the special effects are some of the year's best. They're not flashy but boy are they convincing.

"A Monster Calls " left me emotionally charged. I like that it doesn’t pull its punches. It has something to say and when you have a message that’s as important as this one, you've got to be honest. It risks upsetting you, but that’s the right move and ultimately, I think you’ll agree with the decisions it makes. It's one of the year's best films. (Theatrical version on the big screen, January 11, 2017)