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Link

  • 1986
  • R
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
Elisabeth Shue in Link (1986)
When a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involving the intelligent 45-year-old chimp, Link.
Play trailer1:12
1 Video
56 Photos
Monster HorrorSupernatural HorrorHorror

When a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involv... Read allWhen a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involving the intelligent 45-year-old chimp, Link.When a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involving the intelligent 45-year-old chimp, Link.

  • Director
    • Richard Franklin
  • Writers
    • Lee David Zlotoff
    • Tom Ackermann
    • Everett De Roche
  • Stars
    • Terence Stamp
    • Elisabeth Shue
    • Steven Finch
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    4.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Franklin
    • Writers
      • Lee David Zlotoff
      • Tom Ackermann
      • Everett De Roche
    • Stars
      • Terence Stamp
      • Elisabeth Shue
      • Steven Finch
    • 42User reviews
    • 54Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:12
    Trailer

    Photos56

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    Top cast13

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    Terence Stamp
    Terence Stamp
    • Dr. Steven Phillip
    Elisabeth Shue
    Elisabeth Shue
    • Jane Chase
    Steven Finch
    Steven Finch
    • David
    • (as Steven Pinner)
    Richard Garnett
    • Dennis
    David O'Hara
    David O'Hara
    • Tom
    Kevin Lloyd
    • Bailey
    Joe Belcher
    Joe Belcher
    • Taxi Driver
    Daisy Ashford
    • Becky
    • (uncredited)
    Geoffrey Beevers
    Geoffrey Beevers
    • Mr. Miller
    • (uncredited)
    Jed the Chimpanzee
    Jed the Chimpanzee
    • Imp the Chimp
    • (uncredited)
    Caroline John
    Caroline John
    • Mrs. Miller
    • (uncredited)
    Locke the Orangutan
    Locke the Orangutan
    • Link
    • (uncredited)
    Linus Roache
    Linus Roache
      • Director
        • Richard Franklin
      • Writers
        • Lee David Zlotoff
        • Tom Ackermann
        • Everett De Roche
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews42

      5.94.1K
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      Featured reviews

      8HumanoidOfFlesh

      Perhaps my favourite killer ape flick.

      A young Elizabeth Shue plays Jane Chase,an American student studying at the London Institute of Sciences,who accepts a holiday job as housekeeper for anthropology professor Steven Philip at his house on the remote Cornish coast.Steven has three trained chimpanzees named Link,Voodoo and Imp.When professor mysteriously vanishes Jane is left alone in the house with Link whose behaviour has become increasingly more menacing."Link" is a surprisingly effective killer ape flick.It offers some great shocks and the monkey Link looks very sinister.The score by Jerry Goldsmith is splendid.Unfortunately the explanation of Link's murderous behaviour is not particularly clear.Director Richard Franklin has also made "Patrick","Road Games" and "Psycho II".8 out of 10.
      5michael-485

      A bizarre but fascinating thriller with monkeys and Elizabeth Shue

      I think this was a break-through movie for Elizabeth Shue. It was the first time I heard of her as an actress. I think I saw the movie back in 1988, but it made quite an impact on my young impressionable mind. After watching the movie, I had a real fascination with primate intelligence. The psycho-sexual interaction between Shue and the monkeys stayed in mind all this time. In particular, I remember quite vividly the bathroom scene. It was strange from me to see that back then. And, everytime I see anyone take a bath or shower with a pet in the bathroom on a movie or commercial, I think of that scene.
      dbdumonteil

      Link throws a monkey wrench into the works.

      The cast,featuring a young Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp,was appealing.But,as for the latter,he does his stint,then collects his money quickly ,as if he wanted to get out of this drivel as soon as possible.Anyway,he was miscast:Stamp needs excessiveness,he cannot do anything with a straight character.The "cultural" intro is de rigueur in these "experiment" movies,here Stamp bestows on us a whole lecture ,complete with pay-attention-I'll-ask-you-some-questions-next-week.

      It seems that the humans are very strange and that everybody's got something to hide except for Elisabeth and her monkeys.The humans leave the stage for a while,and the beautiful girl is on her own ,on her planet of the apes.The movie is then crawling along at 20 and it becomes boring.The Kinks' "Apeman" signals the boys' arrival and the slow-moving "psychological" suspense becomes a ape-like "Friday the thirteen".Best avoid.
      8tequila101

      An Entertaining & Most Cunning Piece of Work

      To me, this film feels very mysterious in many ways. But that's what made this film fun to watch.

      A young girl in uni is a scientist and she moves over to an old, run down house with a Doctor called Dr. Phillip. He is studying the races of the Chimpanzees. He lives with two of them called Imp & Voodoo and he has a butler Orangatanga named Link. One morning though he goes missing and Voodoo is dead. The girl (which I forgot her name) then tries to locate the professor/doctor and then there is a sense of anger in Link.

      The plot takes on very well from what I have said. I watched this film at the start of the year, wondering what I would get out of it. I chose to watch this film for two reasons. 1. There where Monkeys and I think monkeys are great in any sorts of films what so ever, and 2. I just like horror. So with these combinations this is why I watched it.

      I love the suspense that this film gives off once the doctor has gone missing. When this occurs your mind starts to have any vision about what could have happened to him.

      Besides the fantastic plot, I think that chimps did a job well done, it must have taken hours for them to be trained! I also like all the music from the great music composer, Jerry Goldsmith. He was able to blend in the music really well.

      Even if the deaths aren't as what you expect (Bloody, gory, which none of us like anyway), you will get a shocking kick out of this film.

      I believe that this film deserves an 8.3/10, not a 5.6/10.
      6gavin6942

      Bring on the Monkeys!

      A zoology student (Elisabeth Shue) must try to out smart a murderous and super-intelligent orangutan.

      The 1980s were a strong decade for monkey-themed horror. Not only did we get Argento's "Phenomena", but one of George Romero's better films, "Monkeyshines". This one has probably fallen through the cracks, despite coming from director Richard Franklin ("Psycho II") and starring a pre-babysitting Shue and the wonderful Terence Stamp.

      The film also raises some great ethical and philosophical questions about how primates should be treated. Are murderous monkeys responsible for their behavior? And is the professor in this film a hero of science or a villain who mistreats his experiments?

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Carrie, the chimp that plays Voodoo, is a full grown adult chimpanzee. Adult chimps are rare in film due to their strength and aggression.
      • Goofs
        The dog Link kills transforms from a live Rottweiler, into a clearly long-dead, shriveled, dusty, stuffed Doberman, upon death.
      • Quotes

        Link: [On keyboard] COOK PHONE.

      • Alternate versions
        There is two other versions of the movie. The french theatrical cut (available on all the french home video editions) is 3 minutes shorter but includes scenes missing from the international cut, giving to the movie a much more psychological effect. If the first scene in the US cut is missing (the Imp's escape) all the parts with Terence Stamp are much longer and makes the movie much more coherent. In 2021, a 125 minutes cut including all scenes from both versions was released in France on Blu-ray and UHD.
      • Connections
        Featured in Trailer Trauma 3: 80s Horrorthon (2017)
      • Soundtracks
        APEMAN
        Performed by The Kinks

        Music by Ray Davies

        Published by Davray Music Ltd.

        Courtesy of Carlin Music

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      FAQ

      • How long is Link?Powered by Alexa

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • September 19, 1986 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United Kingdom
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Link, el sanguinario
      • Filming locations
        • St. Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK
      • Production companies
        • Cannon Screen Entertainment
        • Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Gross US & Canada
        • $1,720,450
      • Opening weekend US & Canada
        • $660,874
        • Oct 5, 1986
      • Gross worldwide
        • $1,720,450
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 43 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.66 : 1

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