A Monster Calls

[projekktor id=’26582′]

Adapted from Patrick Ness’ award-winning novel of the same name, A Monster Calls is a fantasy drama directed by J. A. Bayona (The Impossible). The film premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and stars Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson as the monster.

12-year-old Conor (MacDougall) is dealing with far more than other boys his age. His beloved and devoted mother (Jones) is ill. He has little in common with his imperious grandmother (Weaver). His father (Kebbell) has resettled thousands of miles away. But Conor finds a most unlikely ally when the Monster (Neeson) appears at his bedroom window one night. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth that powerfully fuses imagination and reality.

“The book speaks about death in a direct and darker way,” explains Bayona. “For the film, I wanted to transcend what we know is coming – the death of Conor’s mother – and be able to fuse the boy’s need to draw with the strength of legacy. There is light at the end of the story, resulting from the idea that art heals. Patrick’s screenplay has added themes while still being faithful to the novel; in making the movie, there are some elements of the book that we have taken further.”

A Monster Calls is rated PG.