A Monster calls (4/5, Good)

A coming-of-age film with a Del Toro’s “Labyrinth’s Pan” inspiration whose structure is quite alike a fairy-tale. However not all tales are easy to go through.

We all remember the short stories they use to read when we were younger. Not all of them are easy but are inherently constituted by societal morale. These were the rules that you had to follow in order to be accepted by society. However, this film goes against that and asks the viewer: and what if there are some obstacles from which that there are no recipe to face them? What if those obstacles are too harsh?

The Tree, voiced by the deep and unsettling voice of Liam Neeson, personifies what many people would feel about this obstacle that 12-year-old Conor is facing. This can be from empathy, companionship, sorrow and anger. His strong bond with his mother (the solid Felicity Jones) is his strength but also his weakness. The Tree asks also the darkest existential questions: what if love becomes something so dark that it makes it hard to wake up everyday? Is that same love the one that will help you to see the light again?
Apologies for not telling anything about the story but we believe that this film is much better off that way. You should sit and let yourself go by its story. What struck us the most was its ability to captivate the viewer with each sequence involving the Tree and how the viewer becomes a protagonist in interpreting the morale. It is not as obvious as you think but remember, in all tale there is something to learn at the end.