A Monster Calls

Name: A Monster Calls
Director: J. A. Bayona
Released: 2016

Synopsis

A boy imagines a monster that helps him deal with his difficult life and see the world in a different way.

100
The Playlist
This beautifully structured fable may be focused on the specific pain, of a specific child, during a specific moment in time, but it blows up every fragment of its premise into heart-stirring universal appeal.
91
Consequence
Mixing horror movie imagery with honest, heart-wrenching human truths, Bayona has created a dark, coming-of-age masterpiece.
90
The Hollywood Reporter
The fact that not every terrible thing can be remedied or appropriately punished is a tough lesson even for adults to learn, but A Monster Calls helps find the sense in it.
90
The Verge
J.A. Bayona has created an unforgettable, emotional experience with A Monster Calls, one that lets us grapple with our most basic human fears and worries, while lighting a beacon of hope that can shine through that darkness.
83
The Film Stage
This film thankfully isn’t a dramatic piece gunning for awards glory, but rather a heartwarming adventure through the emotional landscape of a child unsure how to live. It is very sentimental, but that’s kind of the point.
75
IndieWire
It’s a touching scenario, and one so well-acted and laced with superb special effects that even its more obvious beats cut deep.
60
Screen Daily
The abutting of Conor’s conscious and unconscious states justifies the pullulating images, but the film’s overwrought tone can grate.
60
The Guardian
Ultimately, it tries a little too hard to wring those tears.