The Monkey: Sets the Bar as the Horror to Beat in 2025
By Thom Ernst
Rating: A
It’s February, and a bar has already been set for the most groundbreaking, original, and wild film of 2025. The Monkey is the one to beat.
Directed by Osgood Perkins — more on him later — The Monkey is based on a short story by Stephen King. As you might expect from King, The Monkey is dark, ruthless, and violent. What you might not expect is just how funny it is. Like, it's genuinely hilarious.
I won’t question King’s sense of humour, evident in villains from other works who are as gleefully sardonic as they are sadistic, as well as in his satirical works like Needful Things and comedic moments in Stand By Me.
However, the last time King attempted broad comedy in film was with his over-the-top, cringeworthy performance as a simple-minded farmer battling an intergalactic infestation of flesh-devouring moss in the original Creepshow (1982). It proved horrifying in ways not intended.
If The Monkey feels like a departure for King, that sentiment is even stronger for director Perkins who is still basking in the warm reception of his police procedural horror, Longlegs. Here, he takes a significant leap into the realm of dark comedy.
The Monkey is groundbreaking — a fierce burst of comic energy and horror. It showcases Perkins as a versatile and creative director capable of delivering stories that go beyond the meditative, slow-burn approach seen in The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016).
It’s hard to recognize The Monkey as a Perkins film. The pacing is quick, the comedy is sharp and inventive, and the violence is graphic to the point of comic-book extremes. It defies expectations, providing a perfect mix of horror, humour, and heart.
Other critics suggest that The Monkey is, for Perkins, somewhat biographical. I agree. Imagine living a life where you see so much of yourself in a Stephen King story that you can turn it into a pseudo-biographical film. That alone compels the film to be seen.
Osgood is the son of actor Anthony Perkins — Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic slasher film Psycho (1960). His mother, actor and photographer Berry Berenson, was among those who perished in the hijacked plane that crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Following in the legacy of his father and considering the tragedy of his mother’s death, it is not surprising Perkins would find a comfortable fit within the horror genre. That he still has a sense of humour is the bigger surprise. Plus, the death scenes in The Monkey are masterfully staged — boasting the highest body count in cinema since the Death Star destroyed Alderaan in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.
The story centres on twin brothers Hal and Bill. Hal, the younger, weaker twin, lacks the alpha male traits of his brother. When they find a wind-up monkey (don’t dare call it a toy), they discover it can kill, randomly selecting its victims. There are no requests. The boys attempt to rid themselves of the monkey, just as their father (Adam Scott) tried years earlier with horrifying consequences. The pesky monkey continually finds its way back into the twins’ hands.
Viewers are drawn into the complex relationship between the twins, portrayed with remarkable depth and nuance by Christian Convery playing both Hal and Ted as the younger versions of the boys. Hal struggles with his identity and his place in the shadow of his dominant sibling, which adds an emotional layer to the narrative, making the horror elements even more impactful.
The film seamlessly transitions from the brothers' tumultuous childhood to their strained adult lives (here, actor Theo James takes over the dual roles of Hal and Bill), where the monkey's reappearance forces them to confront their past and unresolved issues.
The Canadian connection is Tatiana Maslany, who plays Lois, the boy’s mother. She is tough and no-nonsense but unflinching in her love for her boys.
The Monkey doubles as a commentary on the nature of relationships, the bonds connecting us to our past, and the curses that can afflict families for generations. Perkins' ability to infuse the film with these deeper themes transforms it into a thought-provoking and memorable contribution to the horror genre.
The combination of King’s macabre storytelling, producer James Wan's expertise in crafting suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat moments, and Perkins’ unique directorial vision culminates in a cinematic experience that is as thrilling as it is amusing.
The Monkey is an absolute blast and Perkins’ most commercially viable film yet.
The Monkey. Directed by Osgood Perkins. Starring Theo James, Christian Convery, Tatiana Maslany and Adam Scott. In theatres February 21.