Closing Night

A Monster Calls

Australian Premiere

Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver and Felicity Jones star in this darkly alluring adaptation of the award-winning book by Patrick Ness about a lonely boy who is befriended by a friendly, lumbering monster.

Life has dealt Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall) some devastating blows. His mother (Felicity Jones) has terminal cancer, his father (Toby Kebbell) is not part of his life, his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) offers no consolation and he is bullied at school. Conor has nowhere to turn until he receives a night-time visit from an enormous, tree-shaped monster (Liam Neeson).

The monster's every appearance is a haunting spectacle – staggering visual effects grounded by the human gravity of Neeson's voice – but A Monster Calls is about much more than things that go bump in the night. The wisdom and psychological depth of Ness' narrative will resonate with anyone who remembers grappling with the mysteries of childhood.

Both thrilling and emotionally affecting, A Monster Calls brings fantasy and reality together for an exceptionally moving, wondrous experience.

Director:
J.A. Bayona
Cast:
Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Toby Kebbell
2016 | 108 MIN | UK/USA/SPAIN DRAMA/FANTASY
CTC
Utterly fantastic.
COLLIDER
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION Toronto International Film Festival 2016
    OFFICIAL SELECTION London Film Festival 2016