A Monster Calls is a film written by Doctor Who spin-off Class creator Patrick Ness, based on the book he authored five years earlier based on a story and ideas by author Siobhan Dowd, who passed away from breast cancer before she had the chance to write the novel.
A Monster Calls explores the story of a young boy, Conor O’Malley (played by Pan‘s Lewis MacDougall) dealing with his mother’s terminal illness (his mother is played by The Worst Witch and Rouge One‘s Felicity Jones). Sigourney Weaver plays his grandmother and Fantastic Four (the worst one of them) actor Toby Kebbell appears as his estranged father. Finally we have Liam Neeson voicing the Monster. The stoyline of a young boy dealing with a relation’s cancer through the form of a fantasy element is not a new one, and in this the film doesn’t particularly break new ground. It’s strength lies in its execution. The Monster makes three regular visits (always at either 00:07 or 12:07) to Conor and tells him a story, in which it is hoped he will learn something from (essentially not dissimilar from A Christmas Carol feat. Groot). After which, Conor must then tell the Monster his story (his ‘truth) or else the Monster will kill him.
And so the movie progresses, alternating with Conor struggling with his day to day life and his fear of losing his progressively worsening mother, having to deal with his strict and seemingly cold grandmother and his frustration of his father’s distance, living in America with his new family, and his visits from the Monster. It is the stories that are the film’s strongest point. Visually portrayed as waterpainting animations (tying in to Conor’s and his mother’s hobby and skill of painting), the stories always end with a subversion – the seemingly murdering step-mother witch queen was actually saved by the Monster from a mob, while the actual murdering prince ultimately became a just and popular ruler (by the way, hearing Neeson talking about witch queens gave me flashbacks to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, I tell ya). The greedy and misanthropic apothecary was ultimately in the right, as compared to the parson had his house destroyed by the Monster for his willingness to throw his beliefs away when it suited him. Each of the stories had a deliberate parallel to aspects of Conor’s life.
We ultimately get to Conor’s truth, a truth he almost rather dies than tells – he secretly wishes his mother would pass on, just so his life would become easier. It’s a truth a lot of people, me included, have had to face when dealing with loved ones we know are suffering, in pain or living with a terminal illness, and the film deals with this with dignity and pathos. I am a massive bawler when it comes to feels in films, and this film was no exception.
The film is the right level of vagueness when it comes down to whether the Monster is really there or a manifestation of Conor’s imagination, and there are subtle clues to a possible hint of his real identity. The lessons Conor learns allows him to make bridges with his grandmother just in time for them to be present for his mother’s death, at 12:07.
Like I said, premise wise, the story isn’t particularly special, but where films with original story ideas fall flat at the execution, this film executes a oft-done story well enough to give it merit. It’s a nice intimate film with strong messages and emotional invocations.
A Monster Calls is copyright of Focus Features. All copyrighted material is protected under Fair Use.
