Overview
A young boy confronts his deepest fears and learns the power of truth through an extraordinary friendship with a monster.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- eerie
- tender
- reflective viewing
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a visually striking and deeply emotional adaptation, especially for Lewis MacDougall's performance and its treatment of grief, despite some reservations about character complexity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The tree monster visits Conor and tells structured tales that confront his emotional resistance to his mother's illness.
The monster's tales transform Conor's fears and conflicts into visually distinctive fantasy sequences.
The monster repeatedly demands that Conor tell the truth about what he feels while his mother is sick.
Conor is damaged, guilty, angry, and frightened as he copes with his mother's terminal illness and the possibility of loss.
Films like A Monster Calls, and why
Where the Wild Things Are
shared child-centered fantasy, grief themes, emotional coming of age, and a gentle but unsettling atmosphere
The Bridge to Terabithia
shared imaginative coping mechanism, parent-child themes, wistful tone, and childhood emotional turmoil
Finding Neverland
shared magical storytelling, mourning, family relationships, and touching fantasy drama
The BFG
shared young protagonist, fantastical encounters, melancholy atmosphere, and themes of loss and truth
Movie Details
- Director
- J. A. Bayona
- Release Date
- 2016-10-07
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (3660)
Cast
- Lewis MacDougall
- Sigourney Weaver
- Felicity Jones
- Toby Kebbell
- Ben Moor
- James Melville
- Oliver Steer
- Dominic Boyle
- Jennifer Lim
- Max Gabbay
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Monster Calls about?
- A grieving boy summons a towering tree monster whose unsettling stories force him toward the truth about his mother's illness and his own conflicting emotions.
- What is A Monster Calls like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Monster Calls as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Monster Calls violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Monster Calls as mild.
- What did critics think of A Monster Calls?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a visually striking and deeply emotional adaptation, especially for Lewis MacDougall's performance and its treatment of grief, despite some reservations about character complexity.
- Which films are like A Monster Calls?
- Films with a similar feel include Where the Wild Things Are, The Bridge to Terabithia, Finding Neverland, and The BFG.
- How long is A Monster Calls?
- A Monster Calls runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Monster Calls?
- In United States, A Monster Calls is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
