The 2025 adaptation of Stephen King’s short story The Monkey, is surprisingly good. Surprising because the success rate of King adaptations are low. Most miss the mark completely, some come close. But no cigar.
Writer/Director Osgood Perkins manages to make this one a clear winner. He mixes black comedy with over the top horror. He may have needed to leave the cymbals at home; Disney owned that monkey, but his is terrifying.
The story
Twins Bill and Hal lose their father but gain a monkey. One that plays the drums to a musical background of “I do Like to be Beside the Seaside.” Unfortunately, every single time the monkey bangs those drums someone dies. Horrifically.
The twins throw the thing down the well and the boys grow up and move on. Bill has vacated the scene and Hal has one last moment to bond with his son Petey.
The monkey returns and mayhem ensues.
The Main Cast
Theo James is Hal…
Tatiana Maslany is Lois.
Christian Convery is young Hal.
Colin O’Brien is Petey.
Rohan Campbell is Thrasher.
Blink and You’ll Miss Em
Adam Scott is Captain Petey Shelburn.
Elijah Wood is Ted.
Sarah Levy is Aunt Ida.
Osgood Perkins is Uncle Chip.
Honourable Mention
Zia Newton as Dwayne.
Kingston Chan is Lt. Pepper.
No Small Parts
Tess Degenstein is Barbara.
The Monkey Behind The Scenes
The Monkey is written so well that it works despite the detours taken from the source short story. It is, perhaps, these very detours that make the film work so well. There are genuine comedic moments in the The Monkey. These are intermixed with those scenes that make you laugh and recoil simultaneously.
Or even gag a little while trying to suppress horrified laughter.
DP Nico Aguilar presents this one with all the right insinuating colours and shading. Bright scenes are even pushed to the fore enabling us to realise that the monkey can kill anywhere.
Editors Graham Fortin and Greg Ng put not one foot wrong here. Everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. On speed.
The VFX and the practical FX are brilliant. Perhaps nowhere better than in the death of Aunt Ida. Man, that one-two punch? Just brilliant.
It works
Perkins allows us to find our own gag reflex here. His grasp on this tale is tight and oddly endearing. We get caught up in the tale he is telling. The boys with their individual loss of innocence makes the story work. Each death is more fantastical than the previous one.
One triumph here is the way the monkey manages to change its expressions. The eyes go from manic to murderous. Bemused, amused and benevolent. The list goes on and it is this diversity that helps to sell the film.
The Verdict
The Monkey is a full 4 star effort. It loses a full star for its measured, and intentional irreverence to religion. This is in poor taste and takes away from the story itself. Despite this, I enjoyed the film and after renting it on Prime, bought the thing outright.
It is so tightly written and put together that personal feelings aside? I loved it. The Monkey is the best horror film to come along this year. Check it out and see what you think.
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