And for adults, “A Monster Calls” is a serious drama without the confections that adult dramas usually promise. There’s no sex, violence, sweeping landscapes shot or any other type of escapism.

A Monster Calls is one of those films that’s so poignant, personal, and thoughtfully crafted that you can’t help but praise it, even though you never want to see it again and secretly maybe ...

Kenneth Turan reviews “A Monster Calls,” directed by J.A. Bayona and starring Louis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell and Geraldine Chaplin.

“A Monster Calls,” which considers children’s feelings to be as real and multifaceted as anyone else’s, deserves a place in the canon of artistic explorations of grief.

From its elegant title to its unexpectedly edgy tone, “A Monster Calls” makes its own way. There is magic, real magic here, and if it doesn’t manifest itself in every frame, it’s just ...