But part of the deal is that Conor must provide the fourth story, which the Tree Monster calls "Conor's Truth." It has a very Dickensian, "Christmas Carol" element to it.

Lewis MacDougall, left, stars as 12-year-old Conor and Felicity Jones as Mum in director J.A. Bayona’s drama “A Monster Calls.” (Quim Vives/Focus Features) ...

Conor is plagued by nightmares. Yet it is no dream when at 12:07 he is visited by a monster - the ancient yew tree Conor and his mum often gaze upon from their window.

Kids feel grief as much as grown-ups, maybe more, and when young Conor is faced with a life-changing loss, his aid comes in the form of a wise tree monster.

Conor (Lewis MacDougall) finds a friend in a giant talking tree (voiced by Liam Neeson) that tells stories at night in "A Monster Calls." ...

For a story built around a giant tree creature, “A Monster Calls” is — sometimes punishingly — grounded in truth. The ads and the trailer, however, are not.

Screenwriter Patrick Ness adapts his YA novel about a monster who helps a boy deal with his mother's illness. The result is a film that confronts grief in a gratifyingly unsentimental way.

A Monster Calls dials up a nostalgic and superb coming-of-age journey that'll have audiences grabbing all the hankies. An embattled sort, young Conor (MacDougall) can't catch a break in any part ...

HAPPY MOMENTS: Conor (Lewis MacDougall) and his mum (Felicity Jones), who has cancer, snuggle while watching television in ‘A Monster Calls.’ ...

Jono Wallace, left, acting as Conor, Paula Patron as Mum, and Imani Shaw acting as Grandma rehearse for “A Monster Calls” Tuesday at Midland Community Theatre.

"A Monster Calls" leaves ambiguous its blend of fantasy and realistic drama ("low fantasy," to use a less-traditional literary term) - is the Neeson flora real, or just a manifestation of Conor's ...

Even more impressive is Felicity Jones’ performance as Conor’s “Mum” with the make-up department doing a fantastic job making her appear as if she’s literally withering away.