I Kill Giants follows a troubled girl who is dealing with an unknown family tragedy along with her siblings. As she battles her inner demons, she takes to the local woods to hunt vicious giants that are out for human blood. But are these giants of the woods real or in her mind?
I Kill Giants Review
Nope, I Kill Giants is not horror, but its themes in dark fantasy are well enough around the spectrum that it's worth a discussion. I would have to say that the greatest criticism I have for I Kill Giants is it coming on the heels of A Monster Calls, which in writing and execution is a superior product. Their similarities are a bit too strong to ignore. Child struggles while experiencing a family tragedy, child tries to escape in his imagination that blends with reality, imagination conjures monsters. And a year a part. Movies tend to come in twos and threes.
So does I Kill Giants offer anything of itself? It does. The family dynamics, the monsters, her psychosis, and perhaps most interesting, the mysterious tragedy, all have unique attributes that distinguish it. There is a correlation between the fantasy elements and the unknown family tragedy and you're waiting for it to make itself known. But it's fun as an audience to be the only person unaware of the situation and you have to follow the clues and let them fall into place.
The effects work ranges from engaging to mildly weak. The best moments are the environmental interactions, the subtle figures in the fog, and the shrouded giants that heckle our protagonist as she hunts. Honestly, they were my favorite part of the movie, both in symbolism and execution.
I don't think revelations have the same effect as other films of a similar ilk, reminding me awkwardly enough of a particular supernatural reveal in Dream House, in that they don't make enough of an impact on the viewer.
Sadly, despite the films differences, I couldn't help but feel like I'd seen it before. It's hard to dispute the emotional depth and weight of A Monster Calls, and I Kill Giants struggles to hold that weight many times. But, it still holds these powerful moments of a young mind stricken with grief and turmoil and the brain trying to cope. There are certainly a couple of moments that couldn't have been done any better, and they're truly moving.
Horror Qualifier: 6/10
Horror Quality: 2/10
Film Quality: 7/10