Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Sam Lowry 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.

michael-101-702933 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.

Stephen McCartney 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?

Ollie Locke For all is money and bed room antics, The Tudors is not a patch on low budget feature Monarch. Why? Because I found out more about Henry VIII form this hidden gem of a movie than I did with four series of the soap opera with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I'm a big fan of The Tudors. It has a Game of Thrones take on history. But as an avid follower of British Monarchy, this film Monarch gives me more food for thought. That said it is everything The Tudors isn't: low budget; all set in one location; during one night; a cast that all seem well passed middle age. Despite that it works well as a companion piece. Big TV mini-series have the scope and budget to make the spectacle as real as possible for the viewer, but for most of the cast there is little progression in their characters from one series to the next. I would say take a look at Monarch and see if you agree with the reviews here that the film is like a little time capsule and has captured a new view of Henry VIII, undeniably the most written, talked and filmed about Monarchs of all time. The late Irish actor TP McKenna plays Henry here and turns in a first rate performance. The film was the brain child of the now well- known social and political film maker, John Walsh. I want to see more dramas from him.