Monkey Farm (2017)-Beware of Samson-Fitz of Horror

Written by Bryan Fitzgerald (Fitz of Horror) February 15, 2018

Found footage movies are always hit and miss but are generally a great way to get out a big story on a small budget. I was a bit skeptical going in because CatchMeKillMe Productions last film Fireside Tales (my review in link) was big on story but low on execution and was shot on half the budget ($5,000) as Monkey Farm. I liked Fireside Tales for what it was but I really liked Monkey Farm for the visible progression of talent that was displayed by the director, actors and the story telling.

Synopsis- An exploration of what happens when human curiosity and animal rage collide. This low-budget, high-concept thriller presents a different kind of antagonist, and the same well-meaning-but-doomed kids you love to cheer for as they meet their grisly ends.

The film opens with the crew interviewing professionals regarding the truth about product testing on animals and the facilities these atrocities take place. I have to be honest, I was intrigued by these stories and felt like they were the perfect setup to the story ahead.

One of the people they talk to tell them about an abandoned research center that is not too far away from them so of course they decide to go investigate. Once at the facility (during the day) they soon start to discover that things aren’t what they seem to be at the abandoned facility and uncover some secrets held by scattered paperwork, about a large human sized genetically altered chimp named Samson that may or may not still roam these grounds.

After tracking down some locals (Blair Witch style) to uncover more secrets about the facility and the monster chimp creature, they decide to recruit some local help and go back to investigate the facility further (at night of course) to see if the can find clues to Samsons existence.

This leads us to the last 20 minutes or so of the film that are quite effectively dark, creepy and disorienting. Samson was definitely not the highest quality as far as creature FX go but the camera angles that were used disguised this expertly and were able to still create a genuinely effective onscreen presence of intimidation.

Of course this movie isn’t perfect, not may are, but given the budget Ian Messenger had to work with I feel like he created a really good found footage creature feature that was carried heavily by the story and the acting. He is showing huge improvement as a film maker and as a story teller, so give his movies an open minded watch and appreciate them for what they are…Low budget indie horror with tremendous heart and ambition.

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