A Monster Calls

Who it's for

Conor, a boy whose mother is dying, is visited by a tree-like monster who tells three stories in which people are neither wholly good nor bad, preparing him to face the truth of his own nightmare.

Feelings it meets

• Grief
• Moral Injury
• Emotional Suppression
• Shame
• Family Conflict

What it is

Directed by J. A. Bayona from Patrick Ness's screenplay adapting his own novel, the film follows 12-year-old Conor, whose mother is terminally ill, as he copes with a strict grandmother, bullying at school and a recurring nightmare. A yew tree transforms into a Monster that visits him at 12:07 at night and tells him three stories, then demands that Conor tell a fourth: the truth behind his nightmare.

Where to find it

Rent or buy on major digital stores. Streaming availability rotates; check JustWatch.

Before you start

Heads up: A parent's terminal illness and death.

Age: PG-13

I have been bent and broken, but—I hope—into a better shape.Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Chapter LIX