76
Metascore
40 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthThis beautifully structured fable may be focused on the specific pain, of a specific child, during a specific moment in time, but it blows up every fragment of its premise into heart-stirring universal appeal.
- 91ConsequenceMarten CarlsonConsequenceMarten CarlsonMixing horror movie imagery with honest, heart-wrenching human truths, Bayona has created a dark, coming-of-age masterpiece.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe fact that not every terrible thing can be remedied or appropriately punished is a tough lesson even for adults to learn, but A Monster Calls helps find the sense in it.
- 90The VergeBryan BishopThe VergeBryan BishopJ.A. Bayona has created an unforgettable, emotional experience with A Monster Calls, one that lets us grapple with our most basic human fears and worries, while lighting a beacon of hope that can shine through that darkness.
- 83The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakThis film thankfully isn’t a dramatic piece gunning for awards glory, but rather a heartwarming adventure through the emotional landscape of a child unsure how to live. It is very sentimental, but that’s kind of the point.
- 60Screen DailyGraham FullerScreen DailyGraham FullerThe abutting of Conor’s conscious and unconscious states justifies the pullulating images, but the film’s overwrought tone can grate.
- 60The GuardianNigel M SmithThe GuardianNigel M SmithUltimately, it tries a little too hard to wring those tears.
- 60Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonTime Out LondonTom HuddlestonThere's a gripping, dark, truly monstrous film lurking in here somewhere, but Bayona seems hell-bent on keeping it at bay.
- 50VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeWe’ve heard the same lesson countless times before in other movies, and though it’s certainly impressive to see Conor’s anxieties manifest themselves in such a stunning Ent-like being, as monsters go, Bayona’s creation is all bark and no bite.