It is the great forgotten in the filmography of Juan Antonio Bayona and went unnoticed in its release in cinemas, but A Monster Calls is one of the best Spanish fantasy movies in history and one of the most moving coming of age stories of all time.

This adaptation of the homonymous novel by Patrick Ness -with a script written by himself- has as its protagonist Conor, who at 12 years old and after his parents' separation, becomes the man of the house and in charge of running the home.

Conor maintains a close bond with his young mother, who is seriously ill, and takes care of the house during her regular chemotherapy treatments at the hospital. His grandmother, a cold woman, visits them often and tells him that he can come live with her in case of his mother's death.

Things are not easier at school. Conor is ridiculed for being a dreamer and is regularly tormented by his classmate Harry. One night, exactly seven minutes after midnight, Conor wakes up from one of his usual nightmares to see the great tree next to the church transform into a gnarled monster that approaches his house and speaks to him.

The Monster says he will tell him three stories during their next meetings, after which Conor must tell the Monster a fourth story in return. The boy will try to overcome all his fears and phobias with the help of this monster in this fantasy story, fairy tales, and imaginary stories about loss and grief with which Bayona closes the trilogy on death and mother-son relationships, which he started with The Orphanage and continued with The Impossible.

'A Monster Calls'

A Luxury Cast

Lewis MacDougall in the role of Conor is joined by Felicity Jones as the mother, Sigourney Weaver as the grandmother, Geraldine Chaplin as the school principal, Toby Kebbell as Conor's father, and Liam Neeson as the voice of the Monster.

And he knew it was then. He knew that there really was no turning back. That it was going to happen, regardless of what he wanted, regardless of what he felt. And he also knew that he would overcome it. It would be terrible. Much more than terrible. But he would survive.

'A Monster Calls'

Unjustly Ignored

Despite good reviews, during its time in cinemas the movie did not attract the expected audience and only managed a global revenue of 47.2 million dollars, against a production budget of 43 million. A figure that does not match its quality.

Time, as always, has put it in its rightful place as a great film to claim and one of the most awarded in the history of the Goya Awards, with nine awards in 2016, including best director for Bayona, best cinematography, and editing, among others.

'A Monster Calls'

Critical Acclaim

This touching story of grief from the innocent perspective of a child is one of the most moving films in the history of cinema, a mix of gothic imagination, fairy tale, and childhood terror that, like Pan's Labyrinth, is not for children, even though it is starring one.

In The Hollywood Reporter, they highlighted at its cinema release that "The fact that not all terrible things can be remedied or punished properly is a difficult lesson to learn even for adults, but 'A Monster Calls' at least helps make sense of it.".

According to the Sydney Herald, "'A Monster Calls' was the most mature movie of 2016, and one of the most moving." The Observer, on the other hand, said that "It's not just a movie about pain; it's a movie that immerses you in the journey of pain.".

"A very sentimental story, but that's what it's about," said The Film Stage, pointing out that the movie "is not manipulative" and is not a dramatic piece designed to seek glory in awards "but rather a comforting adventure through the emotional journey of a boy trying to learn how to live.".

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence