Ordinary People
1980USA★ 7.43.5 pt match
Both films sit with grief, guilt, and feeling powerless. They share the same lens on family duty and family wounds passed down. Both move the same way too, melancholic, haunting, and slow burn.
A Monster Calls
2016SpainLanguage: EnglishDirected by J. A. Bayona★ 7.3
Available in English: subtitled
12-year-old Conor encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.
Themes and style
Tone
melancholichauntingdark comedyhopefulwhimsical
Pacing
slow burnescalatingdreamlike
Story
survivalunravelingjourney
Emotion
griefguiltloss of innocencefeeling powerlesslonging
Themes
family dutyfamily wounds passed down
Feel
emotionally wreckingquietly hauntinggut punchcatharticdiscussion starter
Violence
mildWhere to watch
Hollywood films like A Monster Calls
If A Monster Calls hit you the right way, here are Hollywood films that share its DNA. Same emotional weight, same kind of stories, same kind of payoff.
The Farewell
2019USA★ 7.43.5 pt match
What ties these together is grief, guilt, and loss of innocence. Both circle the same ground: family wounds passed down and family duty. The feel is the same: melancholic, dark comedy, and slow burn.
The Florida Project
2017USA★ 7.43 pt match
Both films sit with loss of innocence, feeling powerless, and grief. Both circle the same ground: family duty. Same energy: melancholic, whimsical, and slow burn.
The Descendants
2011USA★ 6.83 pt match
What ties these together is grief, guilt, and loss of innocence. They share the same lens on family duty and family wounds passed down. The feel is the same: dark comedy, melancholic, and slow burn.
The Green Mile
1999USA★ 8.53 pt match
Both films sit with grief, guilt, and feeling powerless. They share the same lens on family wounds passed down. The feel is the same: melancholic, haunting, slow burn, and escalating.