Do not tempt death.
Based on the short story by Stephen King, The Monkey tells the story of Bill and Hal Shelburn (Christian Convery), two young twin brothers who are trying to keep themselves together after their father seemingly abandoned their family. Living with their mother, the two boys couldn’t be more different. Hal is a genuine soul who cares about others and Bill deals with his hurt by bulling his brother. However, when searching their father’s belongings, they come across a box that’s simply labelled ‘like life’. In it lies a mysterious wind-up monkey toy that seems tied to a series of outrageous deaths. Now, twenty five years later, the monkey resurfaces with a vengeance, forcing the estranged brothers (now played by Theo James) to reunite in an effort to stop the madness.
Directed by Osgood Perkins, The Monkey is a vastly different project than his previous work, Longlegs. Whereas Longlegs was designed to thrill and horrify with gritty, Film Noir vibes, this Monkey is brutally graphic and wildly silly. (In fact, it almost feels like Perkins’ attempt to detox from the darkness of Longlegs.) This is the sort of film where people aren’t merely executed.
They explode (literally).
Of course, this also isn’t the type of movie for the squeamish. Perkins goes all in on the violence. From flaming heads and bloody beheadings, The Monkey shows no mercy and wants his victims to suffer in the most bizarre ways possible. Every murderous mayhem seems to be more creative than the last and done so with such creative enthusiasm that one can’t help but laugh. It’s genuinely surprising how much Perkin’s leans into the film’s more comedic aspects, especially considering the film’s dark tones. Even so, The Monkey remains committed to laughing all the way to the morgue. (Picture the sort of violence that one might see from an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon but with human people.) Even (surprisingly) small roles for stars such as Tatiana Maslany, Adam Scott, Elijah Wood and Sarah Levy make use of their comedic talent, as opposed to dramatic weight.
Honestly though, that’s what makes the film so much more interesting than I expected. I can always appreciate horror when it has something more to say than simply wanton violence and The Monkey has something on its homicidal mind. Underneath that monkey’s villainous grin, the film genuinely wants to talk about the nature of death.
Without giving any spoilers, there’s a surprising amount of insight to this Monkey regarding the human experience. For example, when the beastly toy first enters their home, Hal and Bill aren’t prepared for what comes next. When faced with death, their innocent views to life are challenged, especially when funeral eulogy’s offer no answers. These sorts of moments can leave emotional scars and the boys want to avoid any more death in their lives.
It’s worth noting that some of the film’s best work comes from its youngest star. As both young Hal and Bill, Christian Convery helps set the tone well. His performance as the twin brothers details the difficulty that children can have when facing death. There’s an inner rage within him… though he never loses his childlike purity. This is a concept that his character(s) simply aren’t familiar with and there’s a genuine struggle to accept it. In the film’s first third, Convery does an excellent job setting up the (equally strong) work by James as his adult counterparts, making it a believable transition between them.
But The Monkey also toys with the reality of death as something that can’t be truly escaped as well. Eventually, everyone has to face death, and rarely when they expect it. In that sense, The Monkey’s sense of life sits in reality. After all, what does it mean to find joy in a life that can be snuffed out in a moment’s notice? Admittedly, one can’t deny the bleakness of such a claim, yet The Monkey does its best to offer hope to the viewer. Yes, there’s a sense of randomness but the film still wants to point out that there’s value in life. (After all, a darker film could have abandoned all hope at the door.)
While the film is designed to be slightly unsettling in its views, that’s what makes the more comedic aspects more important. Perkins is holding space for very difficult conversations that, frankly, no one enjoys having. Yet, by fueling the film with comedy, it’s darkest edges somehow feel like opportunities to enjoy the ride.
You know, ‘like life’.
The Monkey is available in theatres on Friday, February 21st, 2025.
