Joey Magidson
When you get on a film’s wavelength, no matter what kind of a work it is, there’s a feeling that’s hard to beat. Especially when it’s an out there horror movie, you’re so attuned to the possibilities, anything that happens is a delight. In the case of The Monkey, the opening scene so perfectly sets you up for what’s to come, that you’re just excited to be along for the ride. This flick is such a good time, savagely funny and savagely gory in equal measure, it’s one of the best horror comedies in some time. 2025 is off to a hell of a year, horror wise.
The Monkey is incredibly different from Longlegs, the prior film from Osgood Perkins, but it’s just as clearly evidence that he’s a master of horror. This shows that he can go funny, which is a new exercise for the filmmaker. It’s a movie with a real devilish sense of humor. Sure, some folks may not be able to vibe with what he’s doing, but if you love horror, as well as genre works on the whole, this is an absolute riot that will shock you in all of the best ways.
An opening prologue sets up just how bad it is to have this particular toy monkey in your possession. Pete (Adam Scott) wants to get rid of it, but it’s not particularly keen on that, with consequences. Years later, Pete has taken off, but his twin sons Bill and Hall (both played by Christian Convery) find the toy in his closet. Bill is a few minutes older and never lets the shy Hal forget it, bullying him constantly. Their mother Lois (Tatiana Maslany) is doing her best, not taking any crap from them, but it’s clear she’s perpetually pissed off at Pete. After a particularly bad bullying session at school, compounded by Bill, Hal tells the monkey that he wishes his brother was dead. The toy activates, but Bill doesn’t die. This, along with another accident, clues him in to the fact that when asked to kill, the monkey does not take requests. People just die.
Years later, the brothers are estranged, with Hal (Theo James now) staying as far away from people as possible. They hid the toy and thought it was all over. Well, now people are dying again, more than ever before. Someone has the monkey and is using it, over and over again, hoping for some sort of outcome. Hal discovers this while visiting his ex-wife to see his son Petey (Colin O’Brien), potentially for the last time. The father and son head to the small town where he and Bill left the toy, hoping to figure things out. Plus, Bill (also James) has started to call his brother, and there’s something very wrong with him…
Theo James really impressed me here, given more to do than ever before. He makes the twins very distinct, as well as incredibly funny. They never feel like the same actor. Morevoer, Christian Convery is so believable as the younger twins that I initially didn’t even realize that he was playing both roles. Convery and James combine to give our hero personality to latch on to, while still making him shy and withdrawn. Tatiana Maslany is a spark plug, to the point where even more of her would have been great. I would have watched an entire movie from her perspective. Maslany is so lively here, elevating even the simplest of scenes. In addition to Adam Scott, supporting players include Sarah Levy, Elijah Wood, the aforementioned Colin O’Brien, plus Perkins himself.
Filmmaker Osgood Perkins adapts Stephen King with a devilish glint in his eye. You’re in the hands of a master, one all too eager to make you laugh and to gross you out. If Longlegs showed that Perkins could unsettle and haunt your dreams, The Monkey shows that he can just as easily tickle your funny bone. The gore is somehow both brutal and hilarious, but never mean spirited. Perkins’ direction sets up the kills so amusingly, it never feels like torture porn or anything other than the random acts of life. Somehow, considering the blood and body count, this becomes an absolute romp.
The Monkey is the most fun horror movie in years. Genre fans will be overjoyed with what Osgood Perkins is capable of here. It’s the bloodiest adaptation of King to date, as well as, in my humble opinion, the most purely enjoyable. Nothing will beat The Shawshank Redemption for me, but when it comes to King’s horror works, this is able to immediately stand tall with the other adaptations. High praise? Definitely. Deserved? Without a doubt. The Monkey rules.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
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