The Monkey Review: A Stephen King Adaptation Falls Flat

21/02/2025

3 min read

The latest horror film to hit theaters is The Monkey, a Stephen King adaptation directed by Osgood Perkins. The film follows twin brothers who are haunted by a cursed toy monkey that causes a series of gruesome and accidental deaths. Despite its promising premise, The Monkey falls flat due to its tiresome and juvenile adaptation. Perkins, who previously directed the horror hit Longlegs, fails to deliver a cohesive and frightening film, instead relying on cheap gore and humor.

The film's cast, which includes Theo James and Tatiana Maslany, is wasted in underwritten roles. James plays the dual role of twin brothers Hal and Bill, who are estranged due to a traumatic event in their childhood. Maslany plays their mother, who meets a grisly end early in the film. Despite their best efforts, the actors are unable to elevate the weak material. The film's tone is also inconsistent, veering wildly from horror to comedy without finding a balance between the two.

The Monkey has been marketed as a horror film with comedic elements, but it fails to deliver on both counts. The film's death scenes are gruesome but not frightening, and the humor falls flat due to its reliance on smug and nihilistic jokes. The film's climax is also disappointing, with a showdown between the brothers that is more silly than suspenseful. Overall, The Monkey is a disappointing adaptation of a Stephen King short story, and horror fans may want to look elsewhere for their fix.

Some of the notable releases in the horror genre this year include:

Companion
Heart Eyes
The Gorge
The Monkey

These films have received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but The Monkey is notable for its high-profile cast and crew. Despite its promising premise, the film fails to deliver a cohesive and frightening experience. The film's marketing campaign has also been misleading, with trailers and posters suggesting a more serious and horror-focused film.

In conclusion, The Monkey is a disappointing horror film that fails to deliver on its promise. Despite its talented cast and crew, the film's tiresome and juvenile adaptation makes it a skippable release. Horror fans may want to look elsewhere for their fix, and fans of Stephen King may be disappointed by the film's inconsistent tone and lack of frights. With a budget of around $10m, the film is likely to be a high-profit win for its backers, but it is a loss for horror fans of even the vaguest level of discernment.