THE MONKEY

US, 2025, 98 minutes, Colour.

Theo James, Tatiana Muslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Elijah Wood, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Osgood Perkins, Adam Scott.

Directed by Osgood Perkins.

From a short story by Stephen King. Strong credential in itself. And the film has been written and directed by Osgood Perkins who achieved strong response to his 2024 horror-thriller, Longlegs.

The name of Stephen King, of course, is for many a recommendation in itself. He has been writing novels and short stories for just over 50 years, with more than 50 adaptations of novels and short stories for the big screen and for television – the film starting in 1976 with the shocks in Carrie. He is a household name. So, especially for Stephen King completists, The Monkey goes on the list of films to be seen.

While the Stephen King’s stories have an underlying base of realism, especially in his treatment of family relationships, there is also the move to an atmosphere beyond realism, in the world of the physical, in the world of the psychic, in the realms of: what if…?

This is definitely the case with The Monkey. On one hand, it is the story of twin brothers, one dominating the other, an absent father, a mother trying to raise her children, the decision to search through the absent father’s possessions and the finding of a toy, a monkey with huge eyes which stare, in extreme close-up and threatening, from the screen at the audience, the touch of mesmerising, then the turning of the key and the monkey beginning to twirl the drumsticks and then beat on the drum – with dire, in fact, a lot beyond dire, murderous consequences.

It means then that this is very much Stephen King material, ordinary audiences can appreciate the story of the two brothers and their eventual antagonism and confrontation. But, this is also Stephen King horror territory, and there are quite a number of deaths, targets of the murderous monkey. And, visually and thematically, they are grisly and gory, some audiences might find them too much.

It should be noted that the writer-director, Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins and memories of Psycho), has noted that the deaths are macabre, black-humour, and the reminder that nobody in reality could die in the style of the deaths portrayed here, that nobody could complain that in watching the film it reminded them in any way of their relatives’ or friends’ death. (And, there is an extraordinary last 10 seconds of the film, surprise and some shocking deaths.)

British actor, Theo James, takes on the role of the adult twins and quite effectively makes them very different. In fact, a lot of the drama and confrontation depends on this effectiveness. And for those who note names in casts, Adam Scott appears only in the prologue to the film, which sets the tone as he tries to sell the monkey to a dealer with shock results. And, Elijah Wood, has only a few, quite telling minutes, as a self-important family and marriage guru.

It seems that Stephen King has approved of this version of his story and so it will take his place in all the analyses of his films. In the meantime, his fans will want to see it.

1. The title? Stephen King story? The reputation Osgood Perkins and horror films?
2. The plausibility of the plot? Realism? Imagination? Beyond the natural? Psychology drama, family relationships? Terror/horror/gore?
3. The opening, Petey at the shop, the toy monkey, the shopkeeper, the discussions, the death of the shopkeeper? Setting the tone?
4. The story of the twins, Bill and Hal, the difficulties of birth, Bill dominant, growing up together, Bill strong, teasing, bullying, Hal, glasses, taking it? The absent father? Their mother, coping? Domestic scenes, school, meals? The boys in their rooms? Rivalries? The effectiveness of Theo James in differentiating the twins in adult of life?
5. Searching their father’s goods, finding the monkey? The visuals of the monkey, small, but large on-screen, the penetrating eyes, the arms, the drums, the movement, the drumsticks? The key?
6. The sinister aspects of the monkey, depending on who has the power, the key? The babysitter, agreeable, going to the meal, the decapitation? Funeral service, the inept priest? Mother dancing with the children? Hal, his reaction against Bill? With the monkey, the mockery at school, Hal covered in slime, wanting the key, the death of his mother? The funeral? The aftermath, going to their aunt and uncle? The behaviour, the monkey, its presence, the deaths?
7. Bill, on his own, bad behaviour, his appearance, his set up, the Thrasher, searching for the monkey, finding it, in Bill’s possession? The Thrasher, his character, searching for the monkey, finding it, wanting it? The phone call to Hal?
8. Hal, the years passing, the marriage, the unexpected birth of Petey, the meeting with Ted, his books, his lording it over Hal, the prospect of the divorce? His wanting time with Petey?
9. The plan, the news of the deaths, the garden sale of the monkey? Petey questioning Hal about the family tree, Hal’s lies? The contact with Bill, the contact with the Thrasher, their going to the house?
10. Bill, his intentions, the monkey, vengeance against Hal for killing their mother?
11. The madness of the monkey, the range of deaths, deaths in the neighbourhoods? The wide range of people dying, heads on fire, diving into a flaming pool, running with the pram…?
12. Hal, Thrasher and Petey in the car, the beehive, the shot, Thrasher consuming the bees?
13. Petey in the house, the confrontation with Bill, the challenge to turn the key, his turning it, Hal coming into the house, confrontation between the two? Bill’s death?
14. The final seconds of the film, the previous glimpse of the cheering group, the bus passing, the truck, the deaths, the final impact of the film?
15. Hal, Petey, the monkey, travelling together – into the future and the indications the future from the prologue?