The Monkey (2025) Review

“The Monkey” with being inspired by a short story by Stephen King, and slight “Final Destination” vibes, gives you a horror movie that will hit the spot.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“The Monkey” Film Details

Runtime: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes
Release Date (AMC Early Access Screening): February 12, 2025
Release Date (Nationwide Release): February 20, 2025
Initially Available On/Via: Theatrical Release
Advisory Film Rating: Rated R
Genre(s): Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Distributor(s): Neon
Director(s): Osgood Perkins
Writer(s): Osgood Perkins
Based On Work By: Stephen King

Summary

In 1999, twins Bill and Hal are gifted this strange monkey from their absent father that winds up, beats its drum, and someone dies. Naturally, at first, they didn’t know what the monkey was capable of, but it became clear to them after a few gruesome and low-chance deaths.

Fast forward 20+ years, and we focus on Hal, who is at the cusp of losing his son Petey but is given one last week with him, and that is when The Monkey makes itself known, and Hal has to figure a way to stop it since his son’s life could be at stake.

Character Descriptions

Bill/Hal (Theo James, Christian Convery)

While Bill and Hall are twin brothers, Bill being older by minutes and allegedly absorbing more of the placenta, he makes every effort to dominate Hal and adversely affect their relationship. This leads to understandable animosity that, when the Monkey is introduced, causes problems between them – especially as they become aware of its power.

Petey (Colin O’Brien)

“Petey (Colin O’Brien),” The Monkey, directed by Osgood Perkins, 2024, (Neon)

Petey is Hal’s son, who he sees consistently but on a yearly basis. Thus leaving them somewhere between estranged due to the time gaps, yet with Petey still having a desire to know his dad, there remains the opportunity for reconciliation – it is just a question of whether Hal’s fears of what could happen to people close to him can be set aside so their relationship can grow.

Lois (Tatiana Maslany)

“Lois (Tatiana Maslany),” The Monkey, directed by Osgood Perkins, 2024, (Neon)

Lois is the twins’ mother who worked hard to give them a good life after their dad disappeared, and while her humor could be quite macabre, she is the best mom a kid could ask for.

Review

Highlight(s)

  • The Dark Humor [84/100]

One of the surprises of “The Monkey” is that it is quite funny. I wouldn’t say it’s downright hilarious, but it seemingly aims to have characters who aren’t pursuing telling jokes but just have personalities that lead them to say odd or funny things. Tatiana Maslany, as Lois, for example, gives you the type of human you could imagine Helena Bonham Carter excelling at, especially as people die and she seeks to console her boys.

Other comedic moments often come from the deaths or the dry humor of Petey, which allows for the entire film to keep you chuckling rather than a handful of pops with nothing in between.

  • The Music [81/100]

When it comes to “The Monkey,” aside from being based on a Stephen King short story, it also feels slightly inspired when it comes to the music. In 1999, there is almost the vibe of watching a Quentin Tarintino movie with the music choices, and not in terms of giving spaghetti western but seeking out music that feels distinct and like it could have just been made for this movie. Thus crafting the sense of a brand over just having sounds included to fill up space.

  • The Deaths Will Startle You Throughout The Entire Movie [85/100]

With most horror movies, it is easy to eventually build up a tolerance to violence, but what “The Monkey” does well is keep you on your toes. That is why the “Final Destination” comparison comes in: when the Monkey starts hitting that drum, you know something will happen, with chain reactions usually being part of what sets up the kill. But, with each kill being different, there not being a serial killer, per se, and just a random harpoon gun or other unexpected incident, like the comedy, you get a steady string of violence that is unexpected but can keep you engaged.

On The Fence

  • Not Understanding How Hal Ended Up With A Kid [73/100]

The way Hal is presented to us in his later years, it is hard to imagine him not only dating a woman but being in a relationship and then having a kid. But one of the main issues you’ll note regarding “The Monkey” is that it doesn’t necessarily need to fill in the blanks unless needed. Thus, while you may get the setup of how Hal and Bill found the Monkey and its early kills, the film doesn’t make much of an effort to let you know much, if anything, that happened between 1999 and roughly 2024.

  • No Origin Story For The Monkey [74/100]

To add to the issues for those who like background and story, the origins of the Monkey are unknown. We’re left to assume it has attached itself to Hal and Billy’s family as a coerced heirloom, but as for whether this entity has haunted the paternal line of Hal and Billy’s family for generations? Who knows.

Who originally made this monkey, and is it truly something demonic? Again, no answers. “The Monkey” is more for those who want a fun horror movie than one that has any desire to be taken seriously.

Overall

Our Rating (79/100): Mixed (Divisive)

“The Monkey,” following “Companion,” starts off the year strong for fans horror and with “The Monkey” in particular, between the laughs and violence, while you could submit they are compensating for the admitted shortfalls of the story, there is no denying this is worth seeing on its own in theaters rather than waiting for it to end up on a streaming platform.

Content Information

  • Dialog: Cursing
  • Violence: Gun Violence, Gore, Blood
  • Sexual Content: Nothing Applicable
  • Miscellaneous: Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.