05 Feb REVIEW – ‘The Monkey’ is a blood-drenched blast from start to finish

Stephen King adaptations come in all shapes and sizes. Some are sprawling prestige dramas (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), others lean into psychological terror (Misery, Gerald’s Game), and then there are the delightfully deranged oddities (Creepshow, Maximum Overdrive). Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, based on King’s 1980 short story of the same name, falls squarely into that final category—a gleefully twisted, blood-soaked horror-comedy that embraces its B-movie roots while showcasing Perkins’ signature eerie, off-kilter style.

It’s at once one of the funniest and most gruesome King adaptations in years, filled with a macabre sense of humour and shocking moments of violence that hit like a cymbal-clashing gut punch. Totally deranged, deliciously gory, and darkly comedic, The Monkey is another slam dunk from Perkins and will easily stand as one of the year’s most riotously entertaining horror films. And it will have you never looking at a wind-up monkey toy the same ever again.

A chilling prologue makes it clear just how dangerous this seemingly innocuous toy monkey really is. Pete (Adam Scott) desperately tries to get rid of it, but the monkey has other ideas—ones that come with dire consequences. Years later, Pete is long gone, but his twin sons, Bill and Hal (both played by Christian Convery), stumble upon the toy hidden away in his closet. Bill, the older of the two by mere minutes, never lets the timid Hal forget it, constantly tormenting him.

Their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany), does her best to keep them in line, but the resentment she harbours toward their departed father is obvious. After a brutal day at school, made worse by Bill’s relentless bullying, Hal whispers a wish to the monkey—he wants his brother dead. The toy springs to life, but Bill remains unscathed. However, when an unrelated tragedy strikes, Hal realises that the monkey doesn’t follow instructions—it simply demands blood.

25 years on and the brothers have gone their separate ways, with Hal (now played by Theo James) keeping his distance from the world. He thought the nightmare was behind him, the monkey safely buried in the past. But suddenly, the deaths start again—only this time, they’re happening at an alarming rate. Someone has the monkey, and they’re using it, again and again, with no sign of stopping. Hal, visiting his ex-wife in an attempt to reconnect with his estranged son Petey (Colin O’Brien), is drawn back to the small town where his forced to face both the cursed toy and the unhinged Bill (also played by James).

What begins as a slow-burn exploration of childhood trauma quickly spirals into a chaotic, blood-drenched nightmare as the monkey’s body count rises. Perkins, known for his atmospheric horror films like last year’s runaway hit Longlegs, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, takes a different approach here, injecting the material with a wickedly dark sense of humour that never undercuts the horror but instead makes it even more unsettling. There’s a gleeful unpredictability to the film—just when you think you know where it’s going, it takes a left turn into pure, unhinged madness.

Perkins’ directorial style has always leaned toward the methodical and unnerving, but The Monkey represents a fascinating evolution. His past films have been slow-burn, creeping dread affairs, but here he embraces a more kinetic, playful approach. The movie is filled with creative, often hilarious, death sequences that recall the splatter-happy energy of the best of 80s horror, yet Perkins never loses his grip on the eerie psychological horror at the story’s core.

Visually, the film is a treat. Cinematographer Nico Aguilar bathes the movie in sickly yellows and grimy browns, giving it a vintage, almost pulpy horror feel that fits the material like a glove. There’s an old-school quality to the cinematography that echoes the grainy, midnight-movie aesthetic of 1980s horror, but with a modern slickness that makes the blood pop off the screen. Perkins is also faithfully committed to crafting death sequences with physical effects, which only adds to the film’s gut-churning sensibilities.

James delivers one of his most layered performances to date as both Bill, the reluctant hero caught between scepticism and growing horror as the monkey’s curse tightens its grip, and Hal, the unstable sibling whose character arc is best left unspoiled. James handles the task of playing dual characters with aplomb, balancing balances the intensity of Hal with the vulnerability of Bill. In his capable hands, Bill is a compelling protagonist whose reactions to the escalating madness feel both believable and darkly funny.

Convery is equally impressive at playing both twin brothers; so much so that I legitimately did not realise the roles weren’t played by two different actors. Convery’s scenes set in the past add emotional depth to the story, grounding the film even when it veers into gonzo horror territory. Maslany is an absolute hoot as the twins’ caring but brutally direct mother who may paint a dark view of the world (“Everybody dies…and that’s life.”), but it’s one that’s refreshingly honest.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is its ability to balance genuine terror with razor-sharp comedy. Perkins understands that horror and humour are two sides of the same coin, and he leans into the absurdity of the premise without ever undermining the stakes. The film has a knowing self-awareness that never tips into parody; instead, it revels in its own insanity, delivering one outrageous set piece after another while still maintaining a real sense of dread.

The death scenes, in particular, are crafted with an almost cartoonish glee—each kill is more elaborate and grotesque than the last, yet they never feel repetitive. Perkins stages these moments with a mischievous touch, making them simultaneously horrifying and hilarious. Think Final Destination meets Re-Animator, with a splash of Drag Me to Hell thrown in for good measure. You will laugh. A lot. And you’ll feel a little bad in doing so, but therein lies the fun.

The Monkey stands as one of the most wildly enjoyable Stephen King adaptations in recent memory. Perkins proves that he can handle larger-scale, high-energy horror just as well as he can slow-burn dread, and the result is a film that feels destined to become another smash hit for this rising star of the horror genre. It’s a gleefully gory, wickedly funny ride that delivers exactly what it promises and then some.

With charismatic lead performances from James, a killer supporting cast, and a director who knows exactly how to play with his audience’s expectations, The Monkey is a blood-drenched blast from start to finish. Horror fans looking for a film that combines genuine scares with gut-busting laughs need look no further—this is the kind of movie that will have audiences howling in delight as they squirm in their seats.

So, if you’re in the mood for a horror flick that’s as demented as it is delightful, find your nearest late-night screening, grab some popcorn, and let The Monkey work its sinister magic. But if you happen to hear the faint clash of cymbals in the dark or the refrains of “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside,” run for your damn life.

Distributor: Roadshow
Cast: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy
Director: Osgood Perkins
Producers: Dave Caplan, Michael Clear, Chris Ferguson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, James Wan
Screenplay: Osgood Perkins
Cinematography: Nico Aguilar
Production Design: Danny Vermette
Costume Design: Mica Kayde
Editors: Greg Ng, Graham Fortin
Music: Edo Van Breemen
Running Time: 98 minutes
Release Date: 20th February 2025 (Australia)