'I Kill Giants' Isn't a Fantasy Thriller, but an Emotionally Resonating Drama

I Kill Giants reminds me of Bridge to Terabithia and Sucker Punch.  Like those two, this movie is marketed as if it’s going to be a legitimate fantasy adventure film, but it turns out, it’s not necessarily one.  Thus, some audiences might feel cheated.

It is a film adaptation of a graphic novel, which I’m not aware of, so I don’t know how much faithful it is to its source material.  But as far as the movie goes, it revolves around an eccentric girl named Barbara (Madison Wolfe) who escapes the tough realities of her life by withdrawing into a fantasy world where she battles various kinds of giants.  Meanwhile, a new classmate (Sydney Wade) and a new school counselor (Zoe Saldana) make an attempt to be let into her world.

If one is able get over the turnoff of its somewhat misleading marketing, he or she will find that this film is actually pretty worthwhile.  It’s a poignant coming-of-age drama that is powered by excellent all-around performances and bolstered by substantial themes.  And regardless of whether the story has fantasy elements or not, it’s visually appealing nonetheless.

Overall, once it’s established that it’s a dramatic film, I Kill Giants comes off as an insightful, emotionally resonating film.  It may not be thrilling, as one may have expected of it going in, but I think it still yields the same degree of cinematic payoff, if not more, as if it had been so.