“Everybody dies” is the motto of Oz Perkins’ new film, and he has drummed up one of the most thrilling and entertaining movies in recent times.
Who knew a simple toy monkey could cause so much death and destruction?
Directed by Perkins, who released the thriller “Longlegs” in 2024, “The Monkey” garnered generally positive reviews, highlighting its use of surreal death and humor. Oz Perkins used Stephen King’s short story of the same name as the basis for the film.
The story follows young twin siblings Hal and Bill Shelburn, both played by Christian Convery, who uncover a drumming monkey toy in their father’s belongings.
What follows is a string of accidental murders supposedly caused by this monkey. Each time the final drumstick hits the drum, a bizarre, gory and surreal murder occurs — each one happening under increasingly insane circumstances as the movie progresses.
The story advances and returns to Hal in the present day, now played by Theo James, who has lost contact with his brother and is spending time with his son. After years of believing it to be gone, the monkey returns to, once again, wreak havoc on Hal’s life.
That’s essentially the gist of the movie, but there is so much more to “The Monkey” than just death — it’s also an outstanding dark comedy.
Although this film sounds dark and scary as a typical horror movie should, “The Monkey” offers an incredible number of well-timed and perfectly placed comedic moments throughout the film. The blend of comedy and horror couldn’t have been done better, and the placement of the jokes between moments of intense horror works impeccably well.
“Overall, the best thing that “The Monkey” does is embrace its own outrageousness, illustrating great self-awareness. Perkins knew exactly what he wanted to project to the audience, and he did it exceptionally well within a well-rounded film.”
There are numerous occasions when Perkins takes advantage of the freakish deaths that occur in the movie. Once the brutality ends, a character or well-placed jump cut catches the audience off guard and delivers impactful humor. No joke went by without explosive laughter from the audience.
In true Perkins style, the cinematography in “The Monkey” is also excellent. Shots holding on certain characters as something happens slightly off screen provides thrill and anticipation for what might happen next. Each shot in this movie is great and stylized in a very Perkins manner.
The performances in the film were fantastic and really leaned into the crazy reality. The best performances came from James and Convery. Convery put on an excellent performance by showing panic and distress when it came to the toy monkey; meanwhile, James successfully plays a tired deadbeat who’s traumatized by his childhood.
The writing is equally as excellent, with smart and hilarious dialogue that embraces its strange themes. Every piece of dialogue flowed effortlessly into the next.
Overall, the best thing that “The Monkey” does is embrace its own outrageousness, illustrating great self-awareness. Perkins knew exactly what he wanted to project to the audience, and he did it exceptionally well within a well-rounded film.
The only thing that would make “The Monkey” better would be if there were another 25 or so minutes. It didn’t feel short and it ended on a great high note, but the movie is such a fun watch that even more time dedicated to this twisted reality would be a joy.
Yes, Perkins has successfully made the audience want more laugh-out-loud moments as well as gruesome death scenes.
With easily one of the most outrageous endings to a movie in recent times, “The Monkey” succeeds in being one of the most exciting movies of the year. If you are fine with graphic material and want to watch something to satisfy a dark humor craving, “The Monkey” is a must watch.
Reach Christian Arndt at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
