Written by Marina Coates
The Monkey is the latest film by writer-director Osgood Perkins (Longlegs), adapted from Stephen King’s short story of the same name. Although it’s fairly terrifying in concept, the film heavily embraces humor and—fortunately—doesn’t take itself too seriously. The result is an entertaining, not-so-scary thriller.
The title character is a souvenir left behind by Hal and Bill Shelburn’s (Christian Convery in a dual role) father (Adam Scott) from one of his many grand adventures as a pilot. It’s initially hidden by the boys’ mother (Tatiana Maslany) until they discover it while going through a closet of their father’s belongings. The brothers learn, through trial and error, that turning the key in the monkey’s back brings death. Hal, in a childish attempt to eliminate his bully of a brother, turns the monkey’s key, resulting instead in their mother’s death and forever causing a rift between the two boys.
The monkey seems to be forever linked to their family, as Hal (played as an adult by Theo James, who is fantastic in a dual role) discovers 25 years later when his Aunt dies, and a series of gruesome accidents occur in his hometown. The monkey is intent on killing—they can never know when, how, or who, but some sort of death is inevitable.
The inevitability and randomness of death is the thesis of Perkins’ film, which is even stated on the box containing the monkey: “Like Life.” The boys’ mother, Lois, doesn’t hesitate to teach her children this lesson. It may seem harsh and dark, but she explains to her boys that death will eventually come for all of us; the only question is how soon.
While the film doesn’t consistently adhere to its world’s rules and leaves some questions unanswered, it ultimately becomes a great commentary on the inexplicability of death and how it doesn’t discriminate against anyone. We all think we’re invincible, but nobody is immune from death, as The Monkey likes to remind us in increasingly absurd ways as the film progresses.
The film’s main flaw lies in its failure to delve into the complexity of its characters. Perkins established fertile ground for a deeply moving moment between Hal and Bill but ultimately missed the opportunity. There was ample chance to explore the rift between the two, Bill’s cruelty toward Hal, and Hal’s perceived cruelty toward Bill, but in the end, Perkins only delivered an overly simplified confession of misunderstanding that leaves the estranged brothers’ relationship surface-level at best. Perkins also fails to provide closure on Hal and his son Petey’s (Colin O’Brien) relationship, which remains contentious throughout the film.
The Monkey is a fun, bloody film that’s sure to keep you entertained and laughing throughout—but don’t expect the next great horror film.
