I Kill Giants' Powerful Message About Mortality & Mental Anxiety

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for bot the I Kill Giants movie and comics.

Few comics have delivered a story as moving and cathartic as Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken Niimura’s critically-acclaimed I Kill Giants. Published by Image Comics and Man of Action in 2008, it detailed the life of Barbara Thorson, an outcast who prefers playing Dungeons & Dragons than taking part in typical middle-school activities. However, her real focus is on hunting and killing monstrous giants in the woods nearby.

Well, that's the line of reality that Kelly and Niimura blurred in the books, and which Academy Award winning director, Anders Walter, has translated to the big screen. Minor script changes aside, Walter's film stays relatively faithful to the source material, painting Barb's (Madison Wolfe) world as a tormented one filled with teenage angst. More so, it perfectly captures the cause of this pain, as well as the battles Barb's waging. Not just internally, but with her sister Karen (Imogen Poots), best friend Sophia (Sydney Wade), and school psychiatrist Mrs. Molle (Zoe Saldana), all as she lashes out, struggling to cope with her sick mother's impending death. And it's the latter which turns out to be her greatest giant (aka the Titan) that she must eventually face.

It should come as no surprise that I Kill Giants deals with overcoming emotional adversity rather than telling a story about superheroes with capes saving the world. And as such, Walter leaves us with the most important lesson we can ever learn from a comic book movie in the form of a simple, heartfelt message: "We're stronger than we think."

Full disclosure: This story resonates with me on a personal level, because I relate to Barb. For as long as I can remember, I've been emotionally stunted when it comes to real-life issues surrounding sickness and death, and like her, I live in a state of denial. I, too look for avenues of escapism, though in my case, it's not D&D but comics, and Barb's denial manifests mentally as these giants she has to conquer. When I first read I Kill Giants, it reminded me of the months my father spent in hospital after a spinal surgery and how I, scared to see my hero in a fragile state, only visited him once. Even when he was in therapy rehabilitating, I'd try to avoid him because it's tough to see people we idolize in a broken state. And in I Kill Giants, Walter manages to bring all these emotions out in a way that, with all due respect, transcends the comics medium.

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In Walter's I Kill Giants, we hear the hurt in Barb's voice, see her coping mechanisms failing, and catch every little idiosyncrasy on her face, knowing full well she's in denial. The depiction of magic/realism on film connects with the audience on a way different level than it does in comics, with Barb eventually realizing that she has to tackle her mother's cancer head on.

It's here where Walter's direction fully imprints itself, like a hand on your shoulder. When Barb faces the Titan, she finally breaks down all her psychological barriers, but instead of attacking her, the creature comforts her with wisdom. Then and there, we see what these giants truly are: Metaphors for what we're scared of in life -- grief, loss, being bullied, not finding a sense of belonging and, of course, not being accepted and loved. In Barb's case, she wants to defeat Titan (her embodiment of death) to prevent her mom from dying.

And this is where the film connects with me yet again on a deeper and much-needed level. Just over a year ago, my father's brother was diagnosed with cancer, and over the course of the last few months, his treatment has gotten more severe. I didn't visit him in the hospital, and after refusing to spend his days in a cancer center, withering away, he's back home with us. But much like Barb avoiding her mother's room, I shy away from my uncle's; afraid and selfishly uncertain how to confront things. What hurts most is that he was the one that got me into reading at a young age, who got me into watching wrestling, and a bunch of other things that shaped me in my formative geek years. Sadly, I've visited him just once in his room, and I ran out nervously after 15 seconds or so.

Clearly, the I Kill Giants adaptation couldn't have come at a better time for me -- a person who can't even ask someone how they're doing after a doctor's appointment. Why? Well, I've feared death since I was young, and I guess that's never changed. But this movie reminds me that Barb's a kindred spirit, which is why I'm grateful to witness how meticulously and sensitively this film's major lesson has been crafted for teens and adults alike.

The Titan teaches us that life's not an enchanting ride via candid yet inspirational words. It's not a lesson about great power or responsibility, but about the triumph of the great human spirit. As Barb cries and begs the Titan to let her mom live, he emphasizes that she has to let go, that she actually can let go because "we're stronger than we think." These words are a true testament to the love and bonds we all share, and which appeal to us on the most human level.

In this moment, Barb finally understands and accepts the inevitable. She matures, realizing that life will be filled with just as much anguish as it will joy. Barb also learns that you're your own greatest superhero when you're simply being your most human self. And seeing her adjusting at school, bravely attending her mom's funeral and then bidding the Titan goodbye is more than enough to encourage us to fight off similar giants in our lives, and finally spend the time we do have with ones we love.

I Kill Giants is now in theaters, and is available On Demand and Digital HD.