‘The Monkey’ Review – Carnage, Comedy, And The Chaos Of Existence

Synopsis: When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy.

A real parent will do anything to protect their children with no hesitation. They’ll fight off the bad guys, fend off dangerous animals, shield them from dangerous projectiles, and try the vegetables with a straight face to convince their child that healthy can be yummy. However, protection isn’t as simple as physical acts anymore. Now, you must also monitor their internet presence like never before. In this age of orchestrated misinformation and disinformation, parents must be more diligent than ever when allowing their young ones to move freely about the digital world. Similarly to when we had to come inside when the street lights came on, this kind of protection may look like restriction, however, the fun is over when the goofy videos turn into propaganda. The decisions are never easy, but being a parent rarely is.

“Everybody dies, and that’s life.”

Life may come at you fast, but death comes with fire, bullets, knives, and explosions. While both are draped in a modicum of uncertainty at least life comes with cake. Written and directed by Osgood Perkins and based on a short story by Stephen King of the same name The Monkey is pure carnage, comedy, and the chaos of existence. While dripping in blood, guts, and brain matter, this film is not simply a gory dark comedy but is also a blunt observation of the fragility of life and its randomness. Anything can happen at any time. Delightfully absurd from start to finish, this film may not be for everyone but welcomes those with an open mind.

The Monkey celebrates those with a morbid sense of humor. It’s for those who know life is short, precious, and painful but also giggle at funerals. Differing from the source material in mostly cosmetic ways, those who love the short story need not worry as the broader strokes are maintained. Nevertheless, the mind Perkins definitely leaves an indelible impression. From the fifteen-plus body count, and the creativity of the deaths, to cutting through it all with humor, the blend of King and Perkins is a match made in horror heaven. While it may be gore-heavy, the gore plays a role in the comedy and isn’t focused on simply for shock value.

“It’s not a toy! Don’t ever call it that.”

Beginning in hilariously 90’s fashion in aesthetic, speech, and design, the tone is set early as we experience the forthcoming bloodbath through adolescent eyes. With themes of trauma, parenting, and of course, mortality, the visual spectacle elicits conversations as well. The best genre films are always more than meets the eye. As the story excels through its writing and direction, it also succeeds in its cinematography, lighting, score, and sound design. The film is a feast for the senses and should be experienced in theaters to get the desired effect. You have to see the results of what getting trampled by multiple horses while being asleep in a sleeping bag looks like in HD. Not to mention why electricity and water don’t mix. All executed in an exhilarating over-the-top manner, it is hard to pick a favorite one. It’s like Final Destination on shrooms and who wants to miss that? Its rewatchability is high.

Pace & Pop

This film is exceptionally paced. As you do little waiting for the next outrageous death to unfold while pondering the mysterious and intriguing murder monkey, it coasts at a thriller-like speed. What popped for me was how the film grants permission to laugh at normally deemed inappropriate moments. An audience full of horror fans will catch on early to the devilishly absurd nature of the film, while others may need a few scenes to get acclimated.

Characters & Chemistry

Starring: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Elijah Wood, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy

While most know Theo James from the Divergent film series, he shreds the young adult image by stepping into the beautifully twisted mind of Osgood Perkins. Approaching his performance as Hal with a satisfying balance of franticity and stoicism, James offers a groundedness amongst the chaos. As Bill, there’s an unhinged energy that is both hilarious and completely psychotic. Tatiana Maslany is a perfect fit in this dark story as the mother, Lois. She brings a cold and callus bluntness that is jarring but also chuckle-worthy because of the timing and delivery. Christian Convery has a huge responsibility setting the tone for the rest of the film as young Hal and Bill and he knocks it out of the park.

The Monkey releases in theaters on February 21, 2025. Stay safe and don’t turn the key.

Rated: R Runtime: 1h 38m Director: Osgood Perkins Writer: Osgood Perkins Based on short story by: Stephen King Producers: James Wan, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Chris Ferguson Executive Producers: Peter Safran, John Rickard, Natalia Safran, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Jesse Savath, Fred Berger, Liz Destro, Chris Cole, Omani Carson, Andy Price, Sara W. Price, Tom Quinn, Jason Wald, Christian Parkes, Emily Thomas, Ryan Friscia, Teddy Schwarzman, John Friedberg, Michael Heimler, Peter Luo, Nancy Xu, Owen Qing, David Gendron, Ali Jazayeri Director of Photography: Nico Aguilar AMC Editors: Greg Ng, CCE, Graham Fortin Production Designer: Danny Vermette Costume Designer: Mica Kayde Composer: Edo Van Breeman Sound Designer: Eugenio Battaglia MPSE