How The Monkey Tricked Me Into Thinking It Was a Great Horror Movie
The concept of the evil monkey and the gruesome, unnatural, and creative ways people died around it is absolutely brilliant.
I was hyped for The Monkey for two reasons: first, because it’s an adaptation of one of Stephen King’s stories, and second, because it’s directed by Osgood Perkins. His recent film Longlegs had phenomenal cinematography, worldbuilding, and acting, even though the story itself felt mediocre.
Still, the technical brilliance of that movie made me want to see more of Perkins’ work. And since Stephen King’s stories always come with dark, creepy worlds full of suspense and mystery that keep you on edge, my expectations for The Monkey were sky high. I even avoided watching any trailers to go in fresh.
The movie opens in an unexpected way, with Bollywood music playing in the background. The camera lingers on an old toy and antique shop before a nervous man in a pilot’s uniform walks in.
He looks terrified as he rings the bell on the counter, trying to get the shopkeeper’s attention. When the shopkeeper finally comes out from the back, he notices blood on the pilot’s uniform. The pilot insists the blood isn’t his. What he really wants is to return a monkey toy he had brought home for his kids.
Just make it someone else’s problem.
The pilot is revealed to be Adam Scott, which was a great surprise since I had no idea he was in the film. But the shopkeeper refuses to take the toy back, saying it’s broken. One of the monkey’s hands is stuck upright holding a drumstick, when both are supposed to be down.
If it comes down, we’re all f**ked.
Sure enough, the monkey starts banging the drum again. In that moment, one of them dies, and the other burns the cursed toy with a flamethrower.
Years later, the story shifts to two twin brothers, with the younger one narrating how their father’s curse was passed down to them.
Turn the key and see what happens.
The concept of the evil monkey and the gruesome, unnatural, and creative ways people died around it is absolutely brilliant. At first, it immediately pulled me in, reminding me of Final Destination.
The first death had buildup, anticipation, and tension. But after that, the tone shifted. Instead of keeping the deaths terrifying and suspenseful, the makers leaned into sudden, humorous, or almost joke-like deaths. This change stole away some of the tension that could have made the movie much scarier.
One element I really loved, though, was the dynamic between the twin brothers, Hal and Bill. Bill is only three minutes older than Hal, but he takes that fact very seriously.
He constantly plays the “big brother” card, asserting his supremacy, bullying Hal, and making his life miserable. He calls him names, teases him endlessly, and pushes him around so much that Hal often fantasizes about killing his older brother.
Everything is an accident.
Both Hal and Bill are played by Christian Convery, and his performance is outstanding. He brings such a distinct personality to each brother that it’s hard to believe the same actor is playing both roles.
As Hal, he perfectly embodies the nerdy, innocent, curious younger brother. As Bill, he nails the mean, foul-mouthed, prematurely “grown-up” twin. Yet, in a quieter moment when Bill is shown depressed, Convery reveals a vulnerable side that feels deeply authentic.
Another highlight is Tatiana Maslany as the twins’ mother. She brings an infectious energy to every scene, and her presence elevates the story.
There's a standout moment when she teaches her kids about ideology and philosophy surrounding death. It’s one of the most well-written and well-acted scenes in the film.
And honestly, that’s where the positives end for me.
The first 20 minutes of The Monkey looked promising. The setup was suspenseful, mysterious, and gave the impression that the movie was heading toward something truly gripping.
But after that, it quickly lost steam. The story dipped hard, kept falling, and eventually settled into pure boredom.
The suspense vanished, the anticipation was gone, and while deaths continued to happen, they were presented more like jokes than horror.
The movie constantly tried to lean on dark humor, but it never worked. It would have been far more effective if the makers had focused on horror instead.
The cinematography, worldbuilding, and direction were equally underwhelming. It felt like a film made just for the sake of it, lacking any clear vision or passion.
That distinct eerie vibe you usually get from a Stephen King world was missing entirely. The pacing felt uneven, and when the second half tried to incorporate the estranged father-and-son relationship, it fell flat.
That theme had no weight in the story and drained the movie even further. By the time it reached the climax, the payoff felt random and underwhelming.
Conclusion:
The only strong aspects of The Monkey are its core concept and the performances from Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, and Adam Scott. Everyone else felt unconvincing or wasted.
Weak writing and poor character development were constant throughout. While the film delivered a series of creative deaths, they lacked intensity, and the evil presence of the monkey lost its impact after the opening act.
Instead of creating a gritty, tense Stephen King adaptation, the movie felt hollow, with uninspired dialogue and story choices.
You can watch The Monkey for its concept, but you’ll likely feel disappointed. This is a movie that could have been so much better if the makers had committed to a proper vision instead of putting together an unfocused, horror-less mess.