Based on the novel by Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls is the new film by J.A. Bayona starring Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Signourney Weaver and the voice of Liam Neeson. A Monster Calls is a uniquely powerful and visually spectacular story of love and loss that illustrates the miraculous healing power our imagination holds.

12 year old Conor O’Malley (MacDougall) is a young boy who is struggling to juggle the difficult aspects of his life: taking care of his sick mother (Jones), coping with an absent father (Toby Kebbell), tolerating his difficult grandmother (Weaver), and a bully (James Melville) who just won’t leave him alone. One night, Conor is paid a visit by a monster (Neeson) that bursts forth from the yew tree on the hill. The monster is a 40 foot high creature, who insists on telling Conor stories whether he wants to hear them or not. He visits him at 12:07 every night to tell Conor his stories, in the hopes that Conor will share with him a story of his own.

A Monster Calls

Bayona is known for creating visually striking films such as The Orphanage, The Impossible and the first two episodes of Irish filmed series Penny Dreadful, and A Monster Calls is no exception. Bayona teams up with Oscar Faura, with whom he has worked with on numerous previous productions (and will again on the upcoming Jurassic World 2); their creations show why they make such a great pairing. The cinematography of the English countryside is just stunning, and the use of certain angles to enhance poignant scenes in the movie adds another layer to the film.

A visual that needed to be on point in the film is of course the portrayal of the monster. The first time he appears from the tree is magnificent but also a tad scary, as the audience anticipates what is happening before their eyes. The monster’s design is clearly based on the yew tree and the book illustrator’s outline, but there’s also something oddly human about him too. His eyes are illuminated with life but his actions seem to come from a place of compassion for Conor. The CGI is flawless and having someone act as a stand in (Tom Holland in fact) does make a difference to the finished product. Pairing all of this with Liam Neeson’s voice creates a monster that will have audiences sitting in awe of him, which is exactly what you want.

Visuals aside, the film wouldn’t be anything without a solid story and performances to go with it. Patrick Ness has adapted the book for the film himself, which has become a favoured move in Hollywood to maintain a good relationship with the fans of novels. The story is one that will make your heart ache and the performances by all the cast will leave you feeling like you’re going to cry, and if not, it’s because you’re already crying. Choosing to use animations to dictate the stories that the monster tells is a beautiful way to convey the fantasy realm he seems to come from, and integrates into film perfectly.

Monster Calls

There are some lulls in the flow of the film (which is odd considering the film is only 108 minutes long) to that point that you find yourself wondering when they’re going to move onto the next chapter. The only other blip is Sigourney Weaver’s English accent. Now it’s still very good, but audiences are so used to hearing her native American accent, that the change can be a bit jarring at times. Might not happen to everyone, but it is something audiences should be aware of before entering the theatre. Otherwise, these are two very small issues in what is going to be a great way to kick off 2017’s cinematic releases.

A Monster Calls is J.A. Bayona’s master-class in all that has made him such a popular director. It’s a breathtaking film that carries a beautiful depiction of how much a child can cope with and that the power of the imagination is stronger than anything we could possibly imagine.

A Monster Calls is released in Irish Cinemas on January 1st.
