Monarch (2000) User Reviews

Very rewarding, it's an interesting concept.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 2 August 2019]

Henry VIII is arguably the most interesting monarch of all time, it's fair to say he had a colourful existence. Monarch mixes up real life events with fiction, and delivers a totally intriguing watch.

It's one of those films I didn't like initially, and I almost switched it off, I found some of the production a little cheap looking, and found the house way too modern for the period. However, those minor flaws quickly passed when TP McKenna began his performance as The aged King.

There isn't often a lot of focus during the end of the King's reign, by now he would have been incredibly sick, and in very poor health. I love how this characterisation battles his demons, having to answer to one Queen, a combination of all six wives. Jean Marsh was fabulous.

Lavish costumes, and sets, which although sparse seem to work. You can see there wasn't an enormous budget to hand, but I felt the director did an excellent job.

Thoroughly enjoyable. 7/10

Monarch

[henry8-3 · 6/10 · 19 July 2019]

Injured in a fall, King Henry VIII is taken to an isolated house accompanied by 'loyal' staff - however an assassin is within. Away from court Henry is vulnerable and sees visions of his wives and contemplates his life with the groundskeeper's son.

Interesting oddity which although more televisual than cinematic is nicely written, with TP McKenna strong as the dying king. Absorbing and worth catching if you enjoyed the BBC Tudor series The Six Wives of Henry VIII or Elizabeth R which are similar in tone.

YA-Novel Henry VIII

[BeRightBack · 7/10 · 10 November 2019]

This movie could be worse. And it was evidently filmed on location - the house where it's set is interesting and more or less of the period.

And the costumes aren't bad. For some reason, two of Henry's manservants are played as bitchy gay men (not trying to be rude; that's how they're played.)

If you're a fan of anything Tudor, this is the film for you.

King Henry VIII re-imagined

[tony-649-684341 · 10/10 · 18 April 2015]

This is masterful filmmaking by director John Walsh. It's beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and built around a moment of suspense Hitchcock would have been proud of. But Walsh's greatest masterstroke is his choice of subject matter. On the surface, King Henry VIII seems like a gossipy story that has been the most retold one of the 20th Century.

But as the drama ­develops, the enormity of the ­situation hits you. The monarch had long ceased to wield political power, there was something very shaky about the monarchy. In this stylish film, King Henry VIII (TP McKenna) is an arrogant and dangerous but also vulnerable and susceptible to the tricks played by his own mind. Thanks in part to the ghost Queens played by Jean Marsh.

This is on a very small intimate scale, but the claustrophobic sets, haunting music and refined direction make this one of the most tense costume dramas I have seen.

Excellent filmmaking and superb acting

[carlosmoran · 10/10 · 22 February 2019]

Monarch is a terrific display of the finest Filmmaking, with a compelling story that mixes some true history with fiction, portrayed by superb actors that really make you care about their characters under impecable directing of John Walsh. Definitely recommended!

Fit For a King

[michael-101-702933 · 10/10 · 5 May 2015]

I missed this film the first time round, but this just making 'finding' it now all the more intriguing. This is a cleverly simply story set in one stormy night in a house. There is a break in and then things start to kick off. Sounds like the outline for a low budget crime thriller right? No – this is period costume drama set during one night in the life of English King Henry 8th. The one who killed almost all of his wives.

From a grunge indie inception to a full blow 35mm cinema experience this film certainly challenges the perception about first time feature films and their directors. John Walsh was 26 when he wrote, produced, directed and edited this mini epic.

The cast is headed by Irish acting legend, the now late TP McKenna as King Henry and a ghostly appearance of Jean Marsh as one more of his former wives. Given the tight budget and innovative style, I would like to see what Hollywood makes of him.

Hidden Gem - from the Past

[britishmoviemonsters · 10/10 · 17 August 2021]

I caught up with this movie on Prime Video. Wanted to see what the fuss was about. For a film that had some great reviews from major magazines I was surprised to see some bummer reviews. I guess it will be one what decides those who do and don't like what they see, obviously. My first thought was this Henry VIII drama might have a touch of Wolf Hall about it until I realized it was made in 1996, 13 years before the first Wolf Hall book! Do these filmmakers know that their idea was nicked? I guess they should by now. Sure this is low budget and is in one location. It doesn't pretend to be an epic Lawrence of Arabia film. I liked this slow burn indie style costume drama. Makes a change from a mind numbing indie horror Blair Witch rip off that so many debut features are. If you dig around you can see that John Walsh who wrote and filmed this is today a mega awards laden filmmaker and writer of books, also knows as a best-selling author! Be part of the light and not the darkness and see this film ideally at night but leave a positive review. It is like a Tudor ghost story. I like other reviewers feel haunted after seeing it. The house it was filmed in is a real haunted English manor house.

The Original First Wives Club Gets Revenge!!

[phil-34358 · 10/10 · 15 May 2015]

I came across this film after seeing it advertised at a film festival. I missed it as it was sold out. I caught up with the film later and found out it had been lost for a while and the director John Walsh was giving the inside story on what happened.

As a film maker myself I was fascinated by this story of the making of this low budget costume drama and the story of the film too. Set in a wintry night an injured King Henry VIII comes to what appears to be an abandoned or at least closed up house.

What happens next is an indie Agatha Christie style story. The shooting style and performances are somewhat unique to this film and really work in the stormy night context. Stand out performances from TP McKenna ad Henry VIII and Jean Marsh as one or more of his former wives.

What film maker John Walsh did with a tony amount of money and little more than a two week shoot is impressive. A costume drama that has something to say about the current state of things.

The Haunting of King Henry

[graham-81936 · 10/10 · 5 May 2015]

If anyone knows how to make films about kings and queens, it the British. I wasn't wrote sure what to expect from this tale as I knew the story of Henry VIII and had read that this version had been lost for some time. It appears the camera negative was misplaced and now it has been found. This is all to the betterment of the film and the film maker, who in the DVD extras explains what happened.

The story of an abandoned manor house where an injured Henry comes to seek refuge was no doubt one that was convenient for a film maker looking for an economic way to tell his tale. Once the film is underway you feel a real sense of damp presence and foreboding haunting. The mix of performances (with TP McKenna coming out clearly on top) makes this an unusual experiences but one that I can recommend. A change from the usual costume fare, this is one to be watched with the drapes closed and the doors firmly locked!!

The Haunting of a King

[johnwalshmp · 10/10 · 22 April 2015]

At a time when special effects are king it is good to see some old fashioned story telling at work here. That's not to say the approach or the subject are in any way stale. This re telling of a final days of Henry VIII is done with much aplomb from director John Walsh. This is the first big screen outing for this director who was only twenty 26 when he wrote directed and produced this mini epic.

The film had been lost for some time and recently it has be found, cleaned and given a modern HD rebirth, all to the good. This is one to watch late one night (stormy preferably to get the full effect.

For many small budget first time efforts, it is a gore fest of young people bed hoping or gangsters swearing, spitting and fighting, so good to see John Walsh here making the effort and enlisting the considerable talents of the great T.P. McKenna playing a thunderous Henry and Jean Marsh playing an exquisitely restrained Queen, but which one?

Suffice to say if you have any interest in this period, this is worth a look.

King For A Day or a Night!

[richardlyons74 · 10/10 · 3 September 2014]

This is a fab little gem as the posters say. I didn't quite know what to expect as this isn't a thriller, nor is it a horror or for that matter much of a costume drama. What unfold here is almost a playlette but in a real location. TP McKenna is a powerful Henry despite being towards the end of his life and every inch the king. Nice to see a different take on the usual school history version of Henry and his wives. That said the wives do make an appearance but a the less said here the better save for spoilers.

I liked this film and think that if you are in the right mood you will connect with it. For those willing to try something away from the bodice ripping TV movie versions of Henry (all gelled back hair and waxed chests) this makes for a pleasant change and at least has something to say. Shot on a shoe string over just a few weeks make the achievement all the more impressive.

This film has certainly been through the wars, having been released in the late 90s to not much ado and then lost. The extras on the DVD reveal the fascinating story of the original camera negative and how this was the key to this HD remastered release which hits cinemas again some twenty years after its first bow.

In one stormy night unfold the drama of a historical lifetime.

[barry_norman-1 · 8/10 · 27 December 2005]

Monarch is an impressive debut for documentary director John Walsh. At first appearance this looks like a run of the mill costume drama, but the sparse location careful lighting and efficient use of money and sound effects brings an eerie quality to a film, which although shot on a low budget, does not fall into the trap many of Walsh's peers appear to have in recent years. Brit gangster flicks are almost a prerequisite for a British directorial debut these days. Opting for this historical retelling of one night in the life of Henry VIII shortly before his death John Walsh has managed to convey a grand story of a dying King in an intimate and poignant way, with a few chills along the way.

Much of the sparseness can be attributed to the low budget yet this simply adds to the tension and feeling of emptiness in a Monarch who as lived with excess. Lighting and music are both careful and complex. The camera is confident a brave in many sequences allowing the story to unfold rather than driving the camera and Walsh avoids the hand-held horror of most first time feature directors, opting for a more considered and Kubrick like composition of each shot.

Lighting by ex-Kubrick alumni Ray Andrew (camera operator on The Shinning) heightens the sense of a dark, damp historical past. You can almost smell the damp, yet the lighting and careful flesh tones and Walsh's composition is reminiscent of painter Caravaggio.

The support players are good here too, feeling as through they have been at the court of Henry for some years are themselves ready to give up the ghost. Female cheaters are sparse here but their impact is powerful. Jean March from "Willow" and "Upstairs, Downstairs" impresses as a ghostly amalgam of Henry's past wives. Walsh has brought new life to an up to now, well trodden piece of English history.

The plot is simple yet effective. A grand house closed for the season when one night the injured ruler is brought in and slumps by the grand fireplace. Henry is without the power and control of his palace and is vulnerable from those around him, and from his own sanity.

TP McKenna towers as Henry VIII with on screen chemistry of the Jean Marsh putting a chill down the spine of most viewers. It is somewhat of a shame that little gems like this are not given a wider viewing. I look forward to what John Walsh can next offer up.

New History of Henry VIII

[john-3034 · 10/10 · 22 August 2021]

Too often historical films about Henry VIII follow the same path. This one takes The Downfall approach but predates that film by nearly a decade! Well done filmmaker John Walsh for creating this on a shoestring budget. Many other bigger films could learn for this approach.

Hooray for Henry!

[maurawalsh-29197 · 10/10 · 14 August 2021]

Some of the reviews here seem to miss the point. This indie drama turns the hole English costume drama on it's head. Gone are the hoards of extras. Gone are the wide landscape shots. Gone are the horses. But in comes a claustrophobic drama set in one night with a handful of the great and the good from the English acting scene. Written Produced and Directed by John Walsh this is a true original. Not everyone's cup of tea as the English might say. But it left me feeling haunted afterwards. It also has a modern commentary on the way the public views its leaders.

Great performance from TP McKenna as Henry VIII and watch out for Jean Marsh in what I think it her creepiest role.

Inventive Indie

[wolfmedia-98603 · 9/10 · 3 July 2021]

For anyone who has enjoyed THE TUDORS or Charles Laughton's HENRY THE EIGHTH, here is a very entertaining interpretation of Henry. The outstanding cast, including Jean Marsh, are obviously having fun under the skillful guidance of director John Walsh, who gets the most out of his budget and performers. Overall, the production is further proof that the best period dramas are produced by British filmmakers. MONARCH deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible. Recommended.

A Henry VIII Horror - sort of

[barzinholding · 10/10 · 15 August 2022]

A Henry VIII Horror By no means a typical Henry VIII film nor a typical horror films This is a strange and I found spooky mix of costume drama, camp acting and left me feeling chilled for days afterwards. Some views have been very snotty here. I guess this is a taste issue. The film was shot on a low budget but was shot on film and I recognised some of the faces here and found it more effective at setting an atmosphere than much more recent historical, costume and spooky films. There is a flavour of The Wicker Man here too. A British film that seems to fall outside of standard genre headings. Nice to watch after midnight with all the lights out!

Henry A Portait of a Serial Monarch!

[impossiblefilms · 8/10 · 12 June 2007]

Monarch is an impressive debut for BAFTA winning documentary director John Walsh. At first appearance this looks like a run of the mill costume drama, but the sparse location careful lighting and efficient use of money and sound effects brings an eerie quality to a film, which although shot on a low budget, does not fall into the trap many of Walsh's peers appear to have in recent years. Brit gangster flicks are almost a prerequisite for a British directorial debut these days. Opting for this historical retelling of one night in the life of Henry VIII shortly before his death John Walsh has managed to convey a grand story of a dying King in an intimate and poignant way, with a few chills along the way.

Much of the sparseness can be attributed to the low budget yet this simply adds to the tension and feeling of emptiness in a Monarch who as lived with excess. Lighting and music are both careful and complex. The camera is confident a brave in many sequences allowing the story to unfold rather than driving the camera and Walsh avoids the hand-held horror of most first time feature directors, opting for a more considered and Kubrick like composition of each shot.

Lighting by ex-Kubrick alumni Ray Andrew (camera operator on The Shinning) heightens the sense of a dark, damp historical past. You can almost smell the damp, yet the lighting and careful flesh tones and Walsh's composition is reminiscent of painter Caravaggio.

The support players are good here too, feeling as through they have been at the court of Henry for some years are themselves ready to give up the ghost. Female cheaters are sparse here but their impact is powerful. Jean March from "Willow" and "Upstairs, Downstairs" impresses as a ghostly amalgam of Henry's past wives. Walsh has brought new life to an up to now, well trodden piece of English history.

The plot is simple yet effective. A grand house closed for the season when one night the injured ruler is brought in and slumps by the grand fireplace. Henry is without the power and control of his palace and is vulnerable from those around him, and from his own sanity.

TP McKenna towers as Henry VIII with on screen chemistry of the Jean Marsh putting a chill down the spine of most viewers. It is somewhat of a shame that little gems like this are not given a wider viewing. I look forward to what John Walsh can next offer up.

Monarch back on the throne

[joncowen-85-595686 · 10/10 · 20 August 2014]

Jeez this really is a divisive one. Many of the reviews here show that there are fans of this movie and what can only be described as haters of this movie. Well my score gives my hand away. There is an otherworldlyness quality here that I found quite unsettling. Ideally watched after midnight in darkened room. Not a horror and not really a costume drama in the sense of Downtown Abbey or even The Tudors, this sits in a movie hinterland. The plot is simple and allows for some tension exploitation. Why did this works for me is the real question. The casting of Brits is great from wicked witch actress Jean Marsh to legendary TP McKenna who has played in many an epic picture.

The music hear is like a creeping ivy across the senses. The lighting and the camera-work restrained and seemingly more from an experience hand than a directorial newbie John Walsh. Watching the DVD extras of the remastered film it becomes clear that this was a guerrilla shoot. But rather than opting for a bunch of guys killing each other in the woods or a sub Tarrentino gangster effort, Walsh has really tried to get to grips with the idea of royal celebrity and this little film has a big voice when it comes to something to say.

Why others don't like this film is perhaps more to do with modern tastes and the Game of Thrones hunger for all things shiny and sexy, something this film certainly isn't and it's all the better for it. For now this rough little gem will be sat on its own until either Walsh or someone else decides to add to this damp smelling historical playlette.

Ghost story meets costume drama

[brandon-211 · 8/10 · 23 December 2005]

One dark and stormy night, King Henry VIII lay bleeding on the floor of a country manor house. Surrounded by his shifty-eyed entourage, the ruthless ruler struggled with his own sanity. In this fascinating period piece, John Walsh seamlessly merges historical fact and foreboding drama. Set in the winter of 1547, Monarch takes place over one night. After an injury on the road forces the king to stop in an empty house, his inner circle of aides whisper of assassination. Filled with shadowy scenarios of political manoeuvring and paranoid plotting, Monarch is a sixteenth-century film noir that gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of history's most colourful and controversial characters. The film is anchored by T.P. McKenna's brilliant, bellowing performance as a leader haunted by flashbacks and ghostly visitations from the many wives he murdered in his notorious obsession to sire a male heir.

This is an impressive debut from Writer / Director John Walsh, who is a well known documentary film maker in the UK.

Carry On Henry .

[walshbrostv · 10/10 · 26 February 2014]

It seems that every now and then Henry VIII and his wives pop back up in a historical retelling. Yes these are either stuffed to the gills costume dramas or are a bed hopping teenage romance on TV. John Walsh's Monarch is neither. This take on the most fearsome of English kings is more like Hammer House of Horror meets The Downfall.

Set in one night, with a handful of players this economic drama bristles with first feature optimism from a director who went on you carve out a career in ground breaking documentaries. Great to see this getting a second look and with a spit and polish normally reserved for big Hollywood blockbusters, Monarch and its central performance from TP McKenna will now be preserved for future generations. Despite the film's humble origins, TP's performance can sit comfortably alongside, those of Richard Burton, Keith Michell and Robert Shaw.

Monarch the hidden gem, polished in 2K

[globalfellowsfilm · 10/10 · 17 August 2014]

It's not often you see a debut director take on something as vast as a costume drama epic about Henry VIII. Most goes the easy route of gangsters and modern day ghost stories. But this film is not epic, but is a costume drama and has an element of haunted house too. I read about the remastering of this relatively recent film, shot in 1996 and in cinemas in 2000. But after hearing the original negative was lost I felt I had to find out more. John Walsh shot this film in two weeks with a micro budget, but amazingly on 35mm film. This is the format that all major Hollywood movies shot on.

Clever bloke as this has future-protected the film and now it is back this time in a 2k remaster looking as sharp as a new pin. Is it any good? Unfair to compare with multimillion pound Hollywood fare, but this worth the price of admission to see how John Walsh pulls of the impossible of shooting a costume drama with some heavy eight performances from Jean Marsh and legendary Irish thesp, the late great, TP McKenna.

'Monarch' Lives Again

[steviepics-1 · 10/10 · 12 December 2013]

The late T.P. McKenna will soon be making a comeback of sorts with the re-release of 'Monarch' on blu-ray.

This was a film feature he made in 1996 for John Walsh making his drama debut. The enterprising young graduate of the London Film School aimed high with a part-fact/part-fiction account of an isolated King Henry VIII in the last year of his life who, after he is injured on a hunting trip, is forced to take refuge in a strange manor house, well away from the protection of his palaces and his court.

There are fears of enemies within and without the walls as the king glowers in a virtual state of persecution. In his delirium a conflation of his wives attends his bedside (all played by Jean Marsh). Even Ebenezer Scrooge only had to cope with three ghosts in the one night.

Cinematographer, Ray Andrew (noted for his camera work on The Shining, Das Boot and An American Werewolf In London) enhances the film's tension with a subdued, almost Stygian lighting plot providing each frame with a painterly quality.

This is an assured feature film debut by John Walsh, however, it might be said to be a matter of regret that his notable successes as an award-winning documentary film maker have kept him from following up on his success with Monarch. Perhaps, with the restoration of the original negative for its blu-Ray release, Walsh will be inspired to return to the dramatic form.

For now, a distinct gem of a movie has been remounted and will soon be ready for a whole new audience.

Return of the King

[walshbros-829-888985 · 10/10 · 26 January 2014]

No not Lord of the Rings, but an earlier telling of the story of Henry VIII. Not seen for nearly 20 years, Monarch is a good example of historical retelling. Set one night in an all but abandoned house, Henry VIII and his small court arrive unexpectedly during a thunder storm. I really enjoyed this film and despite all of it budget short comings it does hold the attention. An exquisite cast headed by Jean Marsh and the late great TP McKenna make this an essential master class for anyone who is thinking of playing a king.

Young HBO pretenders to the crown take stock here, this is how to be a regent and not a hair gelled bed hopper. There is quiet desperation here and a metaphor about a monarchy in a modern society. Henry would never have survived the court of public opinion today. But then he was very much a product of his time, he flourished when it was a time of the tyrants. Well worth a look and yes a 10 out of 10, not because it's the most accomplished film ever made, but I wanted to give John Walsh a bog hand for his efforts on a shoe string. He shot at a location that was portrayed as an abandoned Jacobean manor house in a stormy night, when the harsh reality was this was a community centre in the daytime that was being used every day in the middle of a busy south London town, the magic of the movie eh?

TP McKenna - Hidden Henry Revealed!

[nelitoteva2 · 10/10 · 24 January 2014]

A sensationalist headline for a sensational performance. This small indie film is not like it other indie films, it's a costume drama for a start. A young director at the time, John Walsh took the brave step of casting older actors and some heavy weight ones at that. Jean Marsh is famed for her iconic Upstairs Downstairs role, which she created. A Hollywood career beckoned with witches, and wizards tripping off her acting lips. For the role of the most feared king of England, TP McKenna. A respected Irish actor of stage and screen, his contemporaries include, Peter O'Toole, Lawrence Olivier and Richard Burton. Ironically he would take a supporting role in Burton's own Henry VIII epic Anne of A Thousand Days.

The film has been remastered from its original camera negative and I have been honoured to have a sneak preview. Often reviewers say the film "blew them away" or "it's the best film I've seen this year". Here I'm not going to say that. But the film is a strange one. I can honestly say it left me with a very uneasy feeling, a haunting piece that seems to look into the very soul of the king of England. The performance from TP McKenna is a towering achievement, it's Olivier-esque. Sadly TP McKenna actor died in 2011, but I am sure he would approve of this revisiting of his work and in its new HD glory, is saved for future generations.

One King to Rule All the Henrys

[walshbrosfilms-847-484651 · 10/10 · 19 February 2014]

Henry VIII is s tough nut to crack in terms of drama. Either it becomes a romantic soap opera or an epic of the David Lean proportions. Either way this can be a hard ear to connect with. John Walsh's film has got some balls. With a budget that would only buy a few costumes on a Hollywood film, he has woven a tale that's manages to engage and offer a new perspective on this most written about, talked about and most filmed monarch in history.

The film is a hidden gem and so is the cast. Irish stage actor TP McKenna embodies Henry and acts the rest of the cast off the screen. That is until he meets his match in the 'form' of Jean Marsh, enough said here otherwise it's a spoiler. Get the film, have a look and then look at the costume dramas that are consuming our Sunday night TV. I want Walsh to have another crack at history, he's clear got the knack.