“The Monkey” is a blend of horror and comedy due to the insights of Osgood Perkins. The 2025 piece is a film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story released in 1980 with the same name. The movie contains elements of dark humor as it targets death, helplessness and uncontrollable events in life.
Plot Summary
Twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn, played by actor Theo James, discover a mysterious wind-up monkey toy in the attic of their father’s house. His children were unaware that the monkey was cursed and each time the cymbals got struck together, the parents were dealt with a horrific demise. At first the brothers were quite curious, however, the monkey’s ability to kill made their lives a living nightmare which ultimately shattered the dynamic of the family.
When two decades pass, the brothers are forced to meet after a plethora of never ending murders occur due to the monkey’s curse. Their confrontation makes them reminisce their childhood trauma and seek a solution to the monkey’s spell before more children are harmed.
Cast and Characters
Theo James as Hal and Bill Shelburn: James features the dual roles of twin brothers capturing their undressing bond and conflict which is pivotal in defining their characters. Severing relationships between Hal and Bill stem from deep rooted traumatic experiences.
Tatiana Maslany as Lois Shelburn – The brothers’ mother whose troubles are heightened by the circumstances surrounding her untimely death.
Elijah Wood as Ted Hammerman – One of the twins’ friends who later gets pulled into the infamous monkey’s curse mystery.
Christian Convery as Young Hal and Bill – Plays the twins in their early years upon meeting the disturbing toy for the first time.
Adam Scott as Captain Petey Shelburn – The twins’ father who affected their lives enormously with his secrets and absence
Thematic Approach and Genres
“Monkey” explores topics such as curses, destiny, death, and the impact of one’s actions throughout the years. Director Osgood Perkins puts in personal spins to the story asking us to remember films such an “An American Werewolf in London” and “Death Becomes Her.” The mixture of horror and comedy creates a separate track, one where character’s emotional turmoil collides with blind and unbelievable death.
Critical Reception
“The Monkey” has garnered divided critic reviews, such as:
The Guardian did not commend the film, maintaining that the basic premise could have worked if it was not more focused on comedy, as the humor was some form of violence, and the mix of horror and comedy was not well executed.
The New York Post remarked that the film did not achieve any scares or laughs with its blend of horror and comedy, and instead had a tone that was undecided as well as severely undeveloped characters.
The San Francisco Chronicle points out that while the visuals were done well, the film’s plot was weak because it lacked integration of satire and serious topics, thus rendering characters as emotionally disconnected.
Release and Availability
“The Monkey” was released in theaters on February 21, 2025. After the period of screening, the motion picture is expected to release on Hulu around the end of June 2025 as part of a contract between Neon and Hulu. It will also be accessible for purchase or rental on other services, including Amazon Prime video after it explores the theaters first.
Conclusion
“The Monkey” appears to tackle the horror genre with dark comedy by portraying the disturbing effects of a cursed object within a family filled with trauma whilst attempting to integrate multiple genres into one movie. The reception, unfortunately, is indicative that there will be many who do not enjoy it.
Those who enjoy horror comedies or Stephen King’s adaptations will appreciate “The Monkey” as a film of interest.