I Kill Giants

Anders Walter's astonishing feature debut I Kill Giants takes us on a deeply emotional journey in a tender coming-of-age tale about a young misfit who escapes into a fantasy world of magic and monsters.

Life is not easy for our young heroine, Barbara Thorson (Madison Wolfe). Defiant, precocious, outspoken, and a loner, Barbara relates more to the make-believe world of Dungeons & Dragons. At home, she makes life difficult for her older sister, Karen (Imogen Poots), who is responsible for taking care of her and her brother. At school, psychologist Mrs. Mollé (Zoe Saldana) takes an interest in Barbara's increasingly worrisome behaviour.

As she deals with loss and bullying, Barbara's imagined life begins spilling into her real one and she becomes obsessed with what she sees as her quest: killing giants. It's only when she's forced to face the truth and overcome her fears that Barbara is able to confront her demons.

This follow-up to Walter's Academy Award–winning short Helium is a subtly powerful and moving film — produced by Chris Columbus and based on the graphic novel Man of Action by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura. (Kelly also wrote the screenplay.) Walter pulls genuine performances from his cast, who adeptly bring the emotionally difficult subject matter to life. Anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or struggled with life's challenges will leave feeling stronger and more empowered.

ELIZABETH MUSKALA