“A Monster Calls” is a hard-hitting, emotional story that handles the serious reality of terminal illness and it impacts people. Based off a critically acclaimed book by author Patrick Ness, the movie more or less follows the source content. The main difference between the movie and the film is an additional final scene. It reveals something not mentioned in the book, but implied, and its addition was a nice touch. I loved the book, and this movie is a worthy adaptation.

The movie follows the story of a young boy, Conor (Lewis MacDougall) struggling with life and bullying at school while his mother (Felicity Jones) is undergoing cancer treatment. One night, the yew tree outside his yard transforms into an enormous monster (voiced by Liam Neeson). The monster tells him that every time that it returns, it will tell him a story. The monster tells him that after the three stories, Conor will tell the monster his own story— an uncomfortable truth, the real reason the monster was summoned.

The film does not fail to impress with its cast and visuals. It is filled with well-rendered effects as well as painting-like animation that accompanies the monster’s storytelling. The monster itself blends very well with its non-CGI settings, and Liam Neeson voices it excellently. Stars such as Sigourney Weaver (who plays Conor’s grandmother) and Jones add significantly to the film’s acting. I was especially pleased by Lewis MacDougall’s role; child actors typically lack in acting skill, especially compared to their adult counterparts, but MacDougall performed well in a very emotional and demanding role.

One thing that “A Monster Calls” failed at was attracting a base audience that would watch it in theaters. It was based off a young-adult novel, and the combination of a child protagonist and a talking, friendly giant make it seem too similar to Roald Dahl’s “BFG.” However, it also handles themes that are, compared to most children’s movies, very heavy and mature. The film’s intensity and its focus on terminal illness and grief drive away most families with children, and its childish “BFG” vibe drives away more mature audiences. The audience for this movie consists mostly of those who liked the book. “A Monster Calls” may not be a feel-good movie that’ll cheer you up, but it’s still deserving of an A.