Film Preview: A Monster Calls (2016)

Page Revisions:

(January 3, 2016) Original
(April 17, 2016) New Trailer (#2)
(August 7, 2016) New Trailer (#3) / New Poster (#1)
(December 18, 2016) New Posters (#2 & #3)
(January 1, 2017) New Poster (#4)

Release Date:

October 14, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom’s terminal illness.”

Poster Rating: C+ / B / C+ / C

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Review: (#1) A visually interesting design, but one that doesn’t quite stir the imagination it should. This is a film targeted at kids and I’m not afraid the current iteration of design will work to that end.

(#2) Subtle designs don’t have to be visually displeasing. While this design isn’t particularly inventive, it conveys a sense of place and presents a gorgeous setting for our characters. It works fairly well. (#3) Like the first design, this one has some imaginative elements, but feels otherwise facile.

(#4) The design is chaotic and cluttered. There might be some nice coloring elements, but the whole piece is too busy to be interesting.

Trailer Rating: B+ / B / B

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Review: (#1) It’s a satisfying teaser, but is vaguely reminiscent of the trailer for The BFG, the latter of which came out after this one. That said, the concepts are different and the intrigue is there, which may give the film an added boost of interest.

(#2) The imagery draws the audience to the content quite effectively. The plot seems a bit convoluted still, which won’t help put butts in the seats, but the visual boldness might be enough to entice curious filmgoers.

(#3) Here’s a film that looks most intriguing from a visual perspective. It doesn’t quite succeed at presenting a film younger audiences will want to see, but it is a striking film even if the trailer makes the plotting most obvious.

Oscar Prospects:

The concept seems kid-friendly, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an Oscar contender. However, J.A. Bayona’s first film wasn’t and his second film was barely, so I’m doubtful.