Do you ever get surprised by a movie or book? You did not expect to like it, but it touches your core. The movie “A Monster Calls” fits into this category.
The movie stars Felicity Jones as a divorced mother of a boy, Conor, who is bullied at school, but has anger issues, the source of which are revealed as the movie develops. Conor is played by Lewis MacDougall who does a wonderful job revealing his angst, which is far more than the bullying.
Conor loves to draw like his mother and is quite imaginative. He awakens each night at 12:07 am to a monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) who evolves out of an old tree Conor can see from his window in a field near a church. The monster teaches him parables, one each night, with one requirement. Conor must tell him a key truth when he is done with all of his lessons.
I will leave the summation at that. Sigourney Weaver plays his grandmother who has a hard time understanding her artistic daughter and grandson. Weaver does an excellent job in her role, as she must come to grips with her own angst and get closer to her daughter and grandson.
Give the movie a chance and don’t let the title turn you away. You may want to have a Kleenex close by, just in case. The simple truth may touch your core.
If you have seen it, tell me what you think. If you have not, you may want to avoid reading the comments. What other movies or books surprised you?
musingsofanoldfart 
That does sound interesting, though not the biggest fan of kids’ movies.
Thanks for stopping by. I would say this is a relationship story about a child, his mother and his grandmother dealing with a life event. So, it would be for adults and older kids, not younger ones. Your hesitation to watch is similar to mine, which is why I was pleasantly surprised. Keith
Hmmm…. that could be worth watching, then. And not all kids’ books and movies exclude adults. I still watch Harry Potter, and read LOTR as an adult. 🙂
— Alex
Alex, I think Harry Potter has as many adult fans as kids. I hope you enjoy. Keith
I saw it and thought it was excellent, both the story and acting. I would highly recommend to anyone. 🙂 — Suzanne
Many thanks Suzanne for your comment and reblog. It is greatly appreciated.
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
An excellent motion picture.
Thanks again.
I haven’t seen it but it’s now on my Netflix list. Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks Janis. I hope you enjoy it.
That sounds interesting. When I get the chance I will watch it. Thank you for that review, Keith!
Thanks Erika. I hope you enjoy it as well.
I do, thank you, Keith!!
I did see it a while back but for whatever reason it did not leave much of an impression… I think I should watch it again; obviously I missed the point…
Sha’Tara, it may be a result of my low expectations. It was showing on HBO, so I gave it a shot. The other is I seem to be more touched by parent/ child reconciliation. The ending of Field of Dreams gets me every time, eg. Keith
Yes, maybe that’s it: the parent child thing. I am the opposite of the family person, believing that families should be abolished; children given full freedom to go live with whomever they choose, or would have them; adults exchanging/sharing relationships with possessions, sex, everything. I never understood a parent’s attachment to a child. Yes, take care of it, raise it healthy and happy and teach it basic values, but give it freedom to choose a home, a school, or none, whatever. Constraining do not wiser, better people make, as we are experiencing. The pre-civilization ways were infinitely superior.
Sha’Tara, you certainly have an interesting perspective. One thing I tell expecting parents is you don’t fully realize how much your parents love you until you have your own. I do think we need to nurture our children, but let them follow their path, not ours. The best thing we can do is impart some wisdom and lots of encouragement. Best wishes, Keith
I did scroll past this one last weekend. Thanks for the review I’m going to watch.
Thanks Lisa. I hope you enjoy it.
Dear Keith,
I will take time to watch this A Monster Calls” “movie. I plan to see the movie, The Post sometime this week. I recently watched an entire Thin Man series that I received as a gift. This detective series starring Myrna Loy and William Powell are a great fun escape from reality.
Hugs, Gronda
Gronda, I am also looking forward to “The Post.” If I recall, in The Thin Man, the dog is named Asta. Let me know what you think of “A Monster Calls.” Keith
Hi Keith, I read the book and thought it was stunning! Glad to hear the movie holds up.
Great to hear from you! I bet the book left a lot to the imagination, making it more compelling. I like both Felicity Jones and Sigourney Weaver, so it made the movie more interesting,
hi keith! am at the cyber half an hour from the house.. this page has been on my computer screen – ja, since you wrote it, and i’m just now getting time to comment… i’ve not watched movies in years, but this one definitely sounds like an interesting one… of course i’m curious, but w/only a few hours per week online, i’ll have to remain ‘in the dark’ a bit longer…
there’s a ‘voting’ referendum for sunday – to roll back or change laws that the previous president put in place… then carnival arrives in the next weekend… i run home to the briar patch and stay off the roads!
i’ve not checked world headlines yet – but at least there are people like you, out there doing the best to slay the dragons! thanks! lisa
Thanks Lisa. You have some interesting things going on your way as well.