A Monster Calls
The movie tells the story of 12-year-old Conor, who seeks the help of an ancient yew tree monster to cope with his single mother's terminal illness and the bullying of his classmates.
1980, London, England, UK
8 October 1949, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
31 July 1944, Santa Monica, California, USA
7 June 1952, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK
5 June 2002, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
17 October 1983, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK
9 July 1982, Pontefract, Yorkshire, England, UK
March 07, 2017
It has universal appeal, and something important and meaningful to say.
January 08, 2017
As the movie rumbled toward its inevitably devastating conclusion, the chief emotion I felt wasn't sadness but annoyance at the dashed grander potential.
January 05, 2017
This makes for one overcrowded assemblage of issues.
March 03, 2017
The film is essentially about Conor's internal struggle - man vs. himself maybe, although he's not yet a man - where hope battles despair.
April 03, 2017
A brilliant coming of age drama that tackles an adolescent dealing with loss in a way not this well devised since "Bridge to Terabithia."
January 23, 2017
The movie delivers its meaning repeatedly to make sure that no one misses the point; its lessons, rendered even more explicitly than the ones in Conor's classroom, are missing only the chalkboard and pointer.
January 06, 2017
Director J.A. Bayona presents appealing worlds (real and imagined) awash in color and detail, but while his movie and its monster are very interested in exploring and explaining humanity, they don't quite get people.
March 09, 2017
There are times when certain segments of the movie feel a little forced and heavy-handed, but regardless of those minor flaws, A Monster Calls still manages to inspire, move and entertain. A box of tissues is essential.
February 07, 2017
A magnificent film about the power of the stories in our lives, how they can help us in the most difficult times and teach us to continue the struggle despite the vicissitudes. [Full review in Spanish]
January 06, 2017
This is a tough movie that takes on adult issues and doesn't shy away from the grim realities of its subject matter. But that's what makes this grim children's story work. It's a work of lovely darkness.
February 09, 2017
[A Monster Calls] does have its share of painful honesty. But it also reminds us that truths spoken in and about love can sustain us through the darkest nights of the soul.
January 06, 2017
Too mature to lure in the younger set and too one-dimensional to make much of an impression on adult audiences.
