J.A. Bayona, who directed the 2007 horror movie “The Orphanage” and the 2012 drama film “The Impossible”, has reemerged to create the fantasy drama “A Monster Calls”. Ness, who wrote the book of the same name, claims his screenwriting debut with the film.

Ness’s story begins with a young boy, Conor O’Malley (Lewis MacDougall), dealing with many hardships such as his mother’s (Felicity Jones) terminal cancer and with his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver)’s irritability. One night, seven minutes after midnight, Conor wakes up from his bed and confronts a tree-like Monster (Liam Neeson), who tells him that he came to his home to tell him three true stories, and that the boy himself must tell a fourth one or else he would be eaten. After being told of the three stories by the Monster, he forces the boy to encounter his horrible nightmare in order to tell the fourth story. After telling the story, Conor comes with the Monster to see his mother’s death. The Monster tells the young boy that its ultimate purpose is to heal him. Conor eventually accepts that people are very complex and should be judged and punished not for their thoughts, but for their actions, and that valuing the truth is both one of the most difficult and important things a person can do.

Bayona skillfully demonstrates why he is spot-on with the source material of “A Monster Calls”. He lures the audience in with his dreary and tragic storyline. Even more importantly, however, he allows the audience to sympathize with his characters as they gradually build into believable people.

The acting was superb, as all of the actors succeeded in conjuring up vividly realized characters. Neeson, especially, was excellent as the formidable, yet gentle, monster. MacDougall did a splendid job as the melancholy and youthful Conor O’Malley. Felicity Jones wonderfully portrayed the horribly sick, loving mother of Conor. Lastly, Sigourney Weaver brilliantly depicted the sullen and glum personality of Conor’s grandmother.