Review: ‘Rum Go!’ serves up striking monkey’s paw tale
“The cycles of suffering spring from desiring things to be different than they are,” reads an end credit placard of the new short film. Therein also lies the crux of “The Monkey’s Paw,” a spooky short story written by W.W. Jacobs and published in 1902. The three-wishes tale, in which a person gets to see their deepest, darkest desires come to fruition, has been adapted countless times in theatre, film, and television over the last century. Now, it finds a fresh iteration in an indie film called Rum Go!, written by Markus Thorington, who co-directed with Samuel Markus and Jennifer Thorington.
20 minutes in length, Rum Go! follows Stuart Ambago (Glen McDougal), his wife Mary (Pamela Munro), and son Hubert (Liam Gallogly). It’s a brisk winter’s evening, and a roaring fireplace sets the backdrop for this crackling bit of folklore. When an old friend named Benari (Joseph Lopez) stops by, Stuart and Benari share a few laughs, clink glasses, and down plenty of bourbon. Benari is a pecular one, indeed, and Lopez’s performance gives off Robert Carlyle fumes (ala Rumplestiltskin in Once Upon a Time). It’s perfectly splendid, and as the night quickly wears on, he pulls out a gift for his dear friend: a monkey’s paw.
One might expect what would transpire next, and you’d be partially right. Stuart makes some wishes, and they’re never quite what he expected. No one is ever ready to pay a heavy price tag. Rum Go! unravels with its trusty conventions, always feeling familiar yet it draws you in with anticipation. Ben Meserve’s cinematography matches the narrative, cool amber glows and pulses from the inside-out, presenting a clean look but with an air of mystery.
Rum Go! is never about reinventing the wheel. Rather, it’s about offering up an alternate take to the classic fable with a thrilling final act. It’s just striking enough to grab ahold and makes you ponder what these filmmakers have up their sleeve next.
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