It's no wonder we're all a little crazy, but that doesn't mean you should expose your psychosis to another psychopath just because he's wearing a white coat! When I was a child, I watched Sam Raimi’s legendary trilogy, The Evil Dead, and I always wondered where the legs came from... erm, where did the idea of an evil hand come from? After all, everything new is poorly buried old, and no matter how talented the director of Simple Plan and Spider-Man would be, I was sure that the idea was played out somewhere. True, it was more of a youthful curiosity that quickly vanished and I focused on other things. However, in our world, nothing happens for nothing, and sometimes you accidentally stumble upon something, no matter what you were looking for five years ago. And this thing seemed to lie here for a long time and did nothing but wait for you. Today’s guest is a good example of that. So this is the hand.
John Lansdale had it all. He had a loving wife who spent an indecent amount of time with her yoga coach, but he didn’t care when he was immersed in himself. John had an interesting and well-paid job, he is an artist of graphic novels, in the world called comics. John had a beautiful six-year-old daughter who loved her father as well as his wonderful comics. As always, everything changed in an instant. Oh, no, no, the hero's family was not shot by gangsters and they did not die in an accident, although the latter took place, but everything was limited to the fact that John lost his right hand. It would seem that such an accident was supposed to unite the Landis family, but this did not happen. Instead of supporting her husband in a critical situation, the wife says that she is moving to another city, and let John live in his old house, they say that the one-armed cripple will cope with his heartache and housework. Of course, Anne Lansdale goes to her lover, but only S-S-S, not a word to John, because he already has a hard time. The hero also loses his job, because John can not draw with his left hand as well as with his right, and a holy place is not empty and now a young and talented teenager works in John’s place. But the worst thing about this situation is that Jonah has visions that his lost hand has found life, and also a mind, a very evil mind. But are they really just visions?
So, despite such a “vigorous” name, this film is perceived rather as a drama with a touch of a mystical thriller, and not a horror movie, although all the features of the horror film are observed. Here you have a look from the eyes of the killer... if it applies to the revived part of the body. Here and the oppressive atmosphere, which is advantageously complemented by the gloomy soundtrack of the picture. There are even black and white dreams and visions of the protagonist, which look damn stylish even now, what can we say about the distant eighty-first? And yes, it’s all beautiful and it sets the right mood, but as I said, The Hand is primarily a drama. The drama is about a man who is used to being alone even surrounded by loved ones, but when he actually turns out to be alone, Jonah embraces fear and despair. And being alone, John begins to struggle with his inner demons, he tries to understand whether the revived hand is the delusion of the inflamed mind of the artist, or thanks to some evil magic, the hand has come to life and now pursues the hero of the picture? The viewer also tries to answer this question, since the director skillfully plays cards that were on his hands and remains lost in guesses, which of what he saw is fiction, and what is true?
As for the acting, the "Hand" is a film of one actor - Michael Caine, who invests himself in the image of John Lansdale and as strange as it may sound, but this hero is purely human pity. As for the secondary actors, they play generally well, but again they are perceived as a background, thanks to which certain aspects of the character of John Lansdale are revealed.
Summing up, I want to say that we have a good, albeit purely disposable film dedicated to the revived parts of the body, lonely people, as well as the betrayal of those on whom it is customary to rely at a critical moment. And although I am the kind of person who believes that people can be better and kinder than they try to seem, this film did not disappoint me, and therefore I recommend it to anyone who is not indifferent to good horror stories or to the lead actor. Good luck.
7 out of 10