Thriller,Horror
United Kingdom
The film Link is a 1986 horror-thriller directed by Richard Franklin and starring Elizabeth Shue, Terence Stamp, and a cast of trained primates. The story follows the young graduate student, Jane Chase, as she takes on an assistant position to a reclusive zoology professor, Dr. Steven Phillip, who lives in a remote estate with his two intelligent chimpanzees, Voodoo and Imp. Link, an elderly orangutan butler, runs the household and serves as a companion to Phillip.
Jane's first few weeks at the estate are relatively uneventful but strange occurrences begin happening, such as the sudden death of Imp, which leads the other animals to act out. Shortly after, Phillip goes missing and Link turns aggressive towards Jane, threatening her life. Desperate to survive, Jane must outsmart Link, who proves to be both cunning and deadly.
The film's plot is centered around the complex psychology of primates and their potential for violence and destruction, as well as questioning the ethics of animal experimentation and domestication. The trained animals, including a series of captivating aerial shots of a chimp climbing trees, add to the authenticity and tension of the film.
Link received mixed reviews from critics but is appreciated by some for its unconventional storytelling and suspenseful atmosphere.
