The Stream: A detour with a side character is unnecessary.

The Big Screen: Funny with some shockingly gruesome kills.

The Final Bill: A comedy horror film that succeeds in being both funny and gory.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Osgood Perkins
Writers: Osgood Perkins based on a short story by Stephen King
Stars: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Colin O’Brien, Elijah Wood, Sarah Levy, Osgood Perkins
Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy
Rating: R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references.
Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
Production Companies: NEON, Atomic Monster, Black Bear International, C2 Motion Picture Group, The Safran Company, Stars Collective Films Entertainment Group, Range Media Partners
Platform: In theaters February 21, 2025
Notable Trailers: Together, Until Dawn, Drop, Hell of a Summer, Mickey 17

Hey Streamers! There have been a lot of adaptations of Stephen King’s novels and short stories over the years. Many of those adaptations have gone on to be enduring classics like Carrie, The Shining, Misery and The Shawshank Redemption. Recently, The Monkey, which is based on a short story by Mr. King, was released in theaters. It is written and directed by Osgood Perkins, who directed last year’s Longlegs. Could he elevate The Monkey to the same heights as those other classics? Let’s see what the monkey drums up.

In The Monkey, we follow identical twins, Hal and Bill Shelburn (Theo James), who find a mechanical toy monkey in their father’s effects after he abandons the family. The strange monkey is apparently cursed as it causes horrific deaths to occur around the twins whenever the toy is wound. On a fateful day consumed by anger, one of the twins makes a fatal mistake with the monkey setting off a sad change of events. Monkey-see, Monkey-do hijinks ensue.

The Monkey has a lot of Stephen King’s signifiers: family trauma, cursed totems, and a wry sense of humor. Osgood Perkins has taken those elements and translated them into a tightly constructed and clever movie. The movie is well-edited and keeps building as its story goes along. I will say that the beginning spends too much time on the twins as teenagers and there is a side character later in the movie that takes focus way from the central story. Those elements don’t totally derail the movie, but they could have been pared down a bit. Nevertheless, the movie is able to rely on the shock value of some gruesome deaths to provide some humor.

Additionally, the cast of characters have a special brand of wit that can only be found in a gruesome tale like this. Theo James, who plays both Hal and Bill, is able to make each character distinctive and interesting. Bill is the more dynamic character, and James really plays him with gusto. Tatiana Maslany plays Hal and Bill’s mother. She is luminous and tender. Her scenes show the heart and soul of this family that’s mired in its curse. On top of that, there are some good cameos throughout that make the movie engaging even in some of its quieter moments.

Ultimately, The Monkey is an entertaining movie that ably mixes comedy and horror. It is quick-witted and well-edited even if a few detours feel unnecessary. I can’t say that it is a classic Stephen King adaptation, but it is definitely good enough to be a regular watch when available on streaming. While it is in theaters, grab a bowl of popcorn and catch a midday matinee. Don’t wind up any toy monkeys while you’re at it.