A determinedly weird and macabre exploration of mortality.
If this isn’t the biggest tearjerker of 2017 we’re in for a distressing year. A truly, ahem, tree-mendous fantasy.
This is a subtle and very cleverly crafted film which has a searing emotional impact precisely because it isn’t scared to let the monster out - to acknowledge the boy’s rage and his guilt as well as his grief.
This is an affecting movie with a lump-in-the-throat ending, but I have to confess to finding its fantasy quotient a bit twee, and the non-fantasy scenes are themselves flavoured by a self-consciously imaginary storybook quality that took the sucrose content too high.
The special effects are impressive enough but what really matters are the performances.
Rich, imaginative and emotionally nourishing, it’s another hugely impressive work from Bayona.
The result is a heart-breaking family film told with plenty of emotion, imagination and a lot of artistic integrity.
Lewis MacDougall is remarkable as a young boy dealing with grief in an excellent adaptation of the Patrick Ness novel.
Part fairy tale/creature feature/domestic melodrama, this adds up to far more than a ‘one boy and his monster’ story — and is a tougher emotional journey as a result.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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