My quick rating – 6.5/10. Stephen King is really all I need to hear to check out a horror flick, and The Monkey delivers a fun, twisted time, even if it comes with a few annoying strings attached. The premise is delightfully simple and plays out with the gory rhythm of a Final Destination movie: there’s a creepy toy monkey that beats a drum, and every time it stops, someone dies. You’d think that would get old fast, but the filmmakers keep the kills inventive and tongue-in-cheek enough to keep you watching. There’s even a mid-movie death montage that feels like the writers going, “We know, we’re behind, let’s catch you up real quick.” And it works.
Theo James pulls double duty as adult Bill and his twin, Hal—both of whom, at both ages, are just wildly frustrating characters. Not because of the acting, which is perfectly serviceable, but because of the way they’re written. Adult Bill in particular is infuriating. The guy refuses to clue his kid in on what’s happening, again and again, and it’s hard not to scream at the screen. His stubbornness and refusal to cooperate undercut some of the fun, and it started wearing on me pretty early.
Still, even with my frustrations, I had a good time. The kills are creatively gory, the humor lands, and there’s a consistent creepy charm to the monkey itself. Adam Scott pops up early on, and it was great to see him away from the corporate Lumon hellscape of Severance and into something a little more deadly.
There’s a bonus trailer after the credits—more of a tease for a new film than a sequel. (Screenrant has the breakdown if you’re curious.) I’ve never read King’s original short story, but something tells me that ending went in a very different direction on the page.
Despite some annoying character choices and a plot that felt a little too one-note by the end, The Monkey still manages to entertain. That says a lot because if not for Bill being the human version of a wet blanket, I might’ve rated this even higher.
This one is making the rounds on most streamers, including Amazon, for theater pricing at home.
Anyone read the short story? Curious how the source material handled it.