It’s been about a decade since A Monster Calls movie hit theaters, and honestly, the math on its success still doesn't add up. On paper, it had everything. You had Liam Neeson voicing a giant, terrifying yew tree. You had Felicity Jones and Sigourney Weaver delivering powerhouse performances. You had J.A. Bayona—the guy who went on to do Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom—at the helm.
And yet? It bombed.
Hard.
We’re talking about a $43 million production that barely scraped together $3.7 million in its domestic US run. People just didn't go. Maybe it was the marketing, which made it look like a cuddly "boy and his pet monster" flick like The BFG. Or maybe it was just too heavy for a Friday night at the multiplex. But if you’ve actually sat down and watched it, you know it’s one of those rare films that actually respects how messy and "kinda" dark it is to be a kid.
What A Monster Calls Movie Gets Right About Grief
Most "sad" movies for kids follow a predictable rhythm. Something bad happens, there's a montage with some soft piano music, and then everyone learns a valuable lesson about moving on. A Monster Calls movie isn't interested in that.
The story, written by Patrick Ness (who also wrote the original book based on an idea by the late Siobhan Dowd), follows 12-year-old Conor O'Malley. Conor is played by Lewis MacDougall, who honestly puts in one of the most raw child performances I’ve ever seen. He’s dealing with a mom (Felicity Jones) who is dying of cancer, a grandma (Sigourney Weaver) he can't stand, and a father who’s basically checked out in another country.
Then the Monster shows up.
It’s not there to save his mom. It’s not there to defeat the bullies at school. It shows up at 12:07 AM to tell him three stories. And these stories? They’re annoying. They don't have clear heroes or villains. They basically tell Conor that the world is complicated and that "good" people do bad things, and "bad" people can be victims.
The Animation Is Where the Magic Is
If you haven't seen the watercolor sequences, you're missing out on some of the best animation of the 2010s. Bayona used a mix of 3D animation and hand-painted textures to make the Monster's stories look like moving ink. It’s vibrant, it’s chaotic, and it feels like a child’s sketchbook come to life.
The studio behind this, Glassworks Barcelona, actually spent an entire year just on the concept and storyboards for these tales. They used real ink layers and projected them into 3D scenes. It’s a huge contrast to the bleak, gray reality of Conor’s life in England.
Why Nobody Saw It (And Why You Should)
Marketing this movie was a nightmare.
How do you sell a PG-13 film about a kid who is so angry he destroys his grandmother's living room? Is it for kids? Not really—it’s probably too scary and depressing for the under-10 crowd. Is it for adults? Some might think a giant tree monster is too "kiddie."
👉 See also: Who is in the Cast of A Cinderella Christmas Ball? The Real Faces Behind the Magic
It fell into that weird middle ground.
E-E-A-T Insight: Psychologists often point to this film as one of the most accurate depictions of anticipatory grief. That’s the specific type of pain you feel when you know someone is going to die, but they haven't yet. Conor isn't just sad; he's guilty. He wants the pain to be over, and then he hates himself for wanting it to be over. That is a heavy, adult concept that the movie refuses to sugarcoat.
The Cast That Deserved More
We need to talk about the acting.
- Liam Neeson: His voice is perfect. It’s gravelly and ancient. He actually did the motion capture for the Monster too, which gives it a weight that pure CGI usually lacks.
- Felicity Jones: She lost a lot of weight for the role and spent time with doctors to understand the physical toll of terminal illness. You can see the exhaustion in her eyes.
- Sigourney Weaver: Her British accent is... polarizing. Some critics found it distracting. But her performance as the "cold" grandmother who is secretly falling apart is devastating.
Practical Takeaways: How to Watch It Today
If you're going to dive into the A Monster Calls movie, don't do it when you're looking for a "fun" escape. This is a "sit in the dark and have a good cry" kind of experience.
- Read the book first? Actually, you don't have to. Patrick Ness wrote the screenplay himself, so it’s incredibly faithful. The book has amazing illustrations by Jim Kay that the movie honors perfectly.
- Watch the credits. There’s a beautiful final scene involving a sketchbook that ties the whole "is the monster real?" debate together.
- Trigger Warning: If you’ve recently lost a parent or a loved one to illness, this movie will hit you like a freight train. It’s therapeutic for some, but it’s undeniably intense.
This film didn't need to be a box office hit to be a masterpiece. It’s a visual poem about the "truth" that Conor is so afraid to say out loud. Sometimes, the monsters in our heads are way scarier than a 40-foot yew tree, and this movie knows that better than almost any other.
Next Step: Watch the 2016 film on your favorite streaming platform, then seek out the illustrated edition of the book by Patrick Ness to see how the original artwork inspired those incredible watercolor sequences.