The Monkey's Paw (2010) User Reviews

Monkey squeaky

[begob · 4/10 · 6 February 2016]

A father welcomes an old friend who bears a gift that puts the family in the path of deadly fate.

Straight telling of the original story, but without conviction. The CGI for the location is atmospheric, music is overbearing. Poor characterisation and overstuffed dialogue make the actors a bit wooden, and the son's performance is out of place. Too many formalities where true characters would react informally, and no real background for the meeting. Made me think I could do better - but they tried, so fair dues.

Not much to criticise as it's really low budget, but I enjoyed the cheese.

Excellent, moody work full of atmosphere and great visuals.

[bayrdge · 10/10 · 8 March 2011]

Well directed creepy retelling of a classic tale. Full of great Gothic atmosphere. Highly recommended. I have been a big fan of this story since I was a kid. Great example of subtle horror; it's what you don't see but that you know is coming! Ricky Lewis does a great job creating the world and taking advantage of the subtle horror of the story. Well shot with great locations; Lewis knows how to get the most out of what was probably a pretty small budget... but it doesn't look it. This is a filmmaker to watch! He's made other excellent short films as well, check them out if you can. This piece also has a really lush score, which adds a lot to the eerie atmosphere.