THE MONKEY’S PAW (9-page short horror screenplay) by Steven Sallie
In this modern telling of the short story by W. W. Jacobs, three wishes are granted to the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, but the wishes come with a price for interfering with fate.
You may be familiar with the title – there’s been numerous versions of this tale (based on the classic short horror story) in literature, film and TV. My personal favorite retelling is probably from The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror version from many years ago.
In writer, Steven Sallie’s cleverly chilling retelling, the message is the same as it is in the original: be careful what you wish for. And in this version, middle-aged couple, Henry and Katherine, learn this the hard way.
One day, Henry receives a visit from an old military buddy named Sergeant Morris, who brings with him a gift.
SERGEANT MORRIS
Something I picked up in Afghanistan.
Supposedly, it had a spell put on it by an
old Muslim holy man. He wanted to show
that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those
who interfered with it did so at their own risk.
(beat)
It will give you three wishes.
Henry’s wife, Katherine, and adult son, Mike, treat it like one big joke. But Sergeant Morris is dead serious. Haunted, even. He, himself, has used the monkey’s paw and witnessed its mystical power. And after using up his wishes, he’s passing this “gift” off to Henry.
Despite Katherine’s disgust, Henry makes a wish: he wishes for $30,000 to pay off their mortgage. But, at his wife’s request, Henry throws the severed primate appendage in the garbage.
The next day, they receive terrible news: their son, Mike, has died tragically in a work accident. As a settlement to the family, his job sends Henry and Katherine 30 large. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Neither does Katherine, grieving the loss of her son.
I won’t give away too much of the rest of the story, but it ends with a macabre yet heartbreaking twist – this one isn’t for the feint of heart.
The source material is a classic cautionary tale that most people are probably familiar with, but writer, Steven Sallie, modernizes the tale and makes it feel fresh. I highly recommend this to any filmmakers looking to take on a project that is sure to gain views based on the source material’s popularity.
BUDGET: Low. The story is essentially one-location (a house) and four actors, but there is a funeral scene. I’m sure this can be altered or cheated – this can be easily cheated with a POV shot from inside a grave, the two main characters looking down. Or however way the filmmaker feels best.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Steven Sallie has been writing screenplays for a few years now and loves it. He has several short scripts in various stages of production. His most recent, First Glance is available on Youtube and also at the Liftoff First-time Filmmaker Festival. Steven can be reached at stevensallie55 (a) gmail.
Read: THE MONKEY’S PAW (9-page short horror screenplay)
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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.
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