A Monster Calls (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #12.2 extract: A Monster Calls (2016)

Reminiscent in essence of Pan's Labyrinth and one of the most audacious films to have come out of the past few decades that I have seen, A Monster Calls is a surreal family movie about a boy who must face his inner demons as he watches his mother, who is riddled with cancer, deteriorate. 

Though this has a few aesthetic faults - none of which concern the fantastic CGI and animation - and lacks a certain magical spark in its first half, this film has all the traits of a truly great movie. It is then in spite of a few faults that A Monster Calls emanates true heart and cinematic intentions; something that is entirely respectable, never sentimental, cheesy or disingenuous. 

It is ultimately the captivation and confrontation of a dark, but irrefutable truth that lies at the core of all that makes this a wondrous film. And so it certainly wouldn't surprise me if this lasts the test of time and becomes an elusive classic.