Picture Liam Neeson, and it’s highly likely you’re imagining an angry Irishman talking down a bad guy on the phone or snapping the neck of some unnamed henchman, or someone appearing in posters poking fun at AI. There’s so much more to the legendary actor, though. He’s earned an Oscar nomination for his turn in “Schindler’s List,” and he was the man who had hope for a young Jedi-in-the-making before things all went to heck in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” On a very unusual occasion, though, Neeson applied his unmistakably gravel-infused voice to a coming-of-age film that gets nowhere near enough attention.
In 2016, Spanish director J.A. Bayona directed “A Monster Calls,” a fantasy movie adapted from Patrick Ness’ 2011 novel of the same name. The story follows 12-year-old Conor O’Malley (Lewis MacDougall), who witnesses his mother (Felicity Jones, star of one of Netflix’s best movies of 2025, “Train Dreams”) fight a losing battle with a terminal illness. He is then visited by a giant tree monster (Liam Neeson) at night. Known only as the Monster, the Groot- and ent-like creature tells Conor three stories in exchange for the young boy revealing his nightmare and the meaning behind it. In the small niche of anthropomorphic tree characters, ranging from Vin Diesel as Groot to John Rhys-Davies as Treebeard in “The Lord of the Rings,” Neeson’s Monster is an imposing but impactful character that delivers a harsh message with heartbreaking care.
A Monster Calls is all about preparing for loss
Plenty of family films have tackled grief and loss, but very few have handled it with quite the raw truth of “A Monster Calls.” Conor is constantly plagued by the tragedy of his mother slipping away from him and by estranged family members who are unable to give the help he needs, leaving him a very lonely young boy preparing for the worst. Sigourney Weaver, who recently starred in Apple TV’s “The Gorge,” does a great job as the distant grandmother to Conor, who can’t quite connect with her grandson, and Toby Kebbell delivers as the dad who turns up only when it’s too late.
For Neeson, though, any moment his gruff voice fills the air is a treat. Conor might almost fear the Monster’s three visits, but for the viewer, these are understandably scene-stealing moments that lead to the film’s beautifully heartfelt finale and to an honesty few stories dare acknowledge. It’s why the film was praised and deemed by The Observer as “not just a film about grief; it’s a film that immerses you in grief’s journey,” and why NPR asked, “Why is it so rare to find films ‘for children’ with this kind of maturity and attention to technique?” If you can, try to seek this small, forgotten, and ferociously honest film. Just be prepared for tears by the end. Like, a lot.
Also, if you fancy heading a bit further back in movie history, check out these essential ’70s fantasy movies that everyone needs to watch.
