The Monkey is a Riotously Bloodythirsty Must-See Horror Comedy [Review]

Certain names frequently pop up in conversations about top-shelf horror comedies. These include Sam Raimi (the Evil Dead trilogy, for starters), Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), Joe Dante (Gremlins, for one), John Landis (An American Werewolf In London), and Wes Craven (Scream), and brilliant relative newcomers like Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) and Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within, Heart Eyes). Two names who aren’t often associated with the subgenre are horror maestro Stephen King and Oz Perkins.

And that’s about to change with The Monkey.

The Monkey, Oz Perkins’ adaptation of the 1980 Stephen King short story of the same name, centers around a pair of twins, Hal and Bill (Theo James as an adult, Christian Convery as a child) who unfortunately discover a cymbal-banging monkey toy in a closet full of their father’s things. The Twins couldn’t be more different: Hal’s reserved, kind, and introverted, while Bill’s an extroverted, narcissistic bully. When Hal begins to use the monkey toy (which it shouldn’t be called), he notices that disaster has befallen those around him. Eventually, both Hal and Bill come to the realization that the indestructible monkey toy appears to be only activated by Hal, but the disasters suggest it has a mind of its own. When the toy resurfaces in their adult lives, the brothers reunite to contend with its deadly influence.

Two Theos Are Better Than One

First and foremost, it’s worth lauding Theo James’ excellent and multifaceted performance. As Hal, James capably embodies a man with a long history of running from trauma and any real human connections due to trauma and longstanding fears over the Monkey’s influence. He also successfully embodies a good-natured but tense and complicated relationship with his son Petey, well-played by Colin O’Brien, who has the right amount of cynicism to show emotional complexity and sound comedic timing. As Bill, James builds a wildly different character: an edgy jackass with a lifetime of delusions of grandeur, frustrated by his irrelevance to the cursed toy in question. While the continuous voiceover could get tiresome, his voice performance (as Hal) maintains a lot of personality and works well overall.

The film as a whole excels with a whip-smart script and confident direction. Interpreting the material in a comedic way was a bold and brilliant choice, deviating from typical fare from King, Wan, and Perkins alike. The approach to horror comedy feels unique but leans in the direction of the brilliant Sam Raimi: finding the comedic potential in absurdist ultraviolence and surprise, and it’s evident from the film’s first scene through a variety of innovative Rube-Goldbergian massacres. Discontent to rest on any laurels, the film embraces violent surrealism even down to its brilliantly Biblical finale.

There’s a wry wit that carries through the film, and the script as a whole has a variety of brilliantly quotable lines of dialogue, from “the monkey that likes killing our family, it’s back” to a spectacularly inappropriate eulogy. It’s easy to have a very good time to watch them have a very bad time. It’s a toss-up as to which kill is ‘the best’ because there are multiple brilliantly constructed and well-executed contenders, and Perkins delivers them with perfect timing and extravagantly dialed-up gore, often delivered with irony and surprise. They’re some of the most positively fucked-up kills in recent horror history, and its a genuine joy to see them paraded so boldly throughout the film.

A Must-See, Ultra-Violent Modern Horror Comedy Classic

The film has a few, relatively small issues. James is great as both brothers, but there are moments where it’s difficult to relate to Hal until he evolves substantially in the film’s final act, largely as a result of his lifelong intentional distance from loved ones or squarely facing his traumatic past. It makes sense from a narrative standpoint, but at times threatens to diminish our connection to the protagonist. Additionally, while James is great in his portrayal of Bill, the segments with that character feel a little slow in pace at times once he becomes more prominent, with his actions feeling a little less exciting than the moments where characters are directly contending with the monkey and its aftermath.

These small issues notwithstanding, The Monkey is brilliant, bold, bloody, and easily among the best horror-comedies we’ve had in years. Theo James turns in excellent work as both brothers, with other players similarly excelling (including Tatiana Maslany, with exceptional line delivery as the twins’ loving and cynical mother, Lois). The comedic timing is impeccable, set pieces are clever, and the lines are well-scripted and performed across the board. The kills are as wild, malicious, and surprising as they should be, orchestrated by a mysterious monkey fueled with sick and twisted blood lust. It’s easily one of the best horror comedies in recent memory, and you’ll be ashamed at the things you laughed at (complimentary). It’s destined for horror-comedy classic status, and you can’t miss it.

The Monkey hits theaters February 21, 2025.

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