Wake Wood review

A couple in grief after losing their child are given some rather sinister advice...

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A show of strength from the revamped Hammer studios, this retelling of The Monkey’s Paw myth manages to conjure comparisons to Don’t Look Now without looking desperately inferior, which is achievement enough in itself.

Arriving in the titular village (where Timothy Spall’s Arthur rules the roost), bereaved parents Louise (Eva Birthistle) and Patrick (Aidan Gillen) are told: “Make another child to love.” But is there a more sinister solution that will allow them to bring their happiness back to life?

Creepy enough to get in your bones and convincing enough to stay there, David Keating’s film juxtaposes the grim minutiae of death with the ravages of grief.

The biggest surprise is not that it’s hair-raising, but that it’s heart-rending too.

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Freelance Writer

Matt Glasby is a freelance film and TV journalist. You can find his work on Total Film - in print and online - as well as at publications like the Radio Times, Channel 4, DVD REview, Flicks, GQ, Hotdog, Little White Lies, and SFX, among others. He is also the author of several novels, including The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film and Britpop Cinema: From Trainspotting To This Is England.