The Monkey is a gripping and well-crafted horror film that successfully balances psychological tension, supernatural horror, and emotional depth. Adapted from a Stephen King story, it brings a familiar yet fresh take on the haunted object trope, using its eerie premise to explore deeper themes of trauma, fate, and family. There’s nothing new in “The Monkey,” but it is so well staged, performed, and calibrated that you can’t help but get sucked into it. It’s not “Longlegs,” but it is a solid horror film.
Overall, if you’re looking for a dark comedy based on a book, this is the movie for you. With a runtime of an hour of forty minutes, you’ll get your money’s worth.
The Storyline
Film is based on a short story by Stephen King and has some of the same premonition elements from Final Destination. The titular accursed monkey is one of those creepy organ grinder toys, and whenever it’s wound up and beats its drum, someone nearby is killed in a freak accident. After learning this, twin siblings, Hal and Bill Shelburn (both played by Theo James) dispose of the monkey before becoming estranged.
But, twenty-five years later, the monkey mysteriously reappears in and can now somehow wind its own key and kill people at will, resulting in a series of gruesome and strange deaths. Now the brothers must reunite and find a way to destroy the cursed toy before it kills them.
The Best Part
The Monkey is at times quite funny and fun. However it is occasionally disjointed and many of the violent gags are hit or miss and juvenile. The deaths in the film are much in the same tone as Final Destination, played kind of lightly and, at times, humorously. Overall, Perkins directed the film well and kept it engaging. But coming on the heels of the incredible Longlegs.
The Monkey offers pitch black comedy delivered deadpan amidst massive amounts of death and gore. At the heart of the film is a study of familial guilt and the lengths we go to in order to make that right, avenge wrongs or simply to avoid responsibility.
The Characters
The mother and the two young twins characters were well-thought out and well-acted. The character of Lois (the mother) avoided some tropes and was portrayed as strange. It was sort of funny but it felt sad because you knew the kids were not going to be ok after witnessing the first death.
The other standout character was the good twin, Hal’s ally, his teen son. The son was the only normal person in the whole movie so it was a relief to see him and his reactions to everything. He did a good job sneaking into the hotel through the dog door and avoiding booby traps.
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The Conclusion
Based on the short story by Legendary Author Stephen King, and Produced by James Wan, “The Monkey” is an “old skool splatter movie” where each and every death in the movie was filmed for maximum blood, gore and shock value, and In that respect it definitely hits the mark, and although it does leave little to the imagination. So if you’re in the mood to watch bloody accidents and that death-chain vibe, give it a try.
IMDb rating – 6/10
Written by Nilesh Shiv