The Monkey: “The Monkey” is a breath of fresh air for contemporary horror films

Every. Single. Time. 

Every single time I’ve walked out of the theater after viewing a horror film recently, I’ve felt unsatisfied. Usually, it’s the fault of the film’s flat narrative, cheap scares, poor acting or obsession with delivering a lousy plot.

That changed when I saw Osgood Perkins’ “The Monkey.”

“The Monkey” is an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story. However, the film differs from many of King’s writings by serving as a comedic horror story.

The movie follows twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn, who are played by Theo James. Beginning in the 90s, the brothers, as children, inherit a toy monkey from their father. When the key is turned on the back of the toy, someone around them dies. Now in the present day, Hal needs to protect his estranged son, Petey, from the monkey’s curse.

I came into the theaters intrigued yet still expecting to dislike the film. My first impression of Perkins was his film “Longlegs,” released on July 12, 2024. 

“Longlegs” veiled its banality under unique advertising to lure in ticket sales. This resulted in a viewing experience which was an utmost disappointment.  Although some aspects of the actors’ performances had their highlights, much of the acting felt dull. The film was filled to the brim with clichés resulting in many clearly unintentional comedic moments.

Thankfully, Perkins went for the laughs this time.

“The Monkey” knows what it is — not preoccupied with spoon-feeding us a convoluted plot like modern horror films such as “Longlegs.”

The film feels comfortable in its campy nature, not ashamed to explore the frivolous sides of the horror genre, mainly the comedic situations, settings and dialogue. The movie was able to stretch its legs in its irreverence by not taking itself too seriously.

Many deaths in the film are done in a comic and unserious manner, such as a hibachi chef cutting his own head off, or a colony of wasps working together to kill someone.

The set design was excellent. Primarily set in stylized depictions of rural America with bold colors, the environment lent itself well to the colorful plot of the film.

James’ portrayal of the Shelburn twins was constantly entertaining. His performance as Hal showed a realistic and comical portrayal of a dead-beat father who has a humorously awkward relationship with his son. On the other hand, I found James’ role as Bill playing a cartoonishly shady figure to be hilarious. 

Although the film wasn’t very serious, I didn’t find it to be entirely vapid. The movie maintained a somewhat absurdist view on mortality, which I found to be an interesting angle.

After “Longlegs,” I was sure that Perkins was going to be the death of the horror genre. Now I know he’s doing great work for modern horror by directing movies like “The Monkey.”

“The Monkey” has restored my faith in Perkins and the present-day horror genre, and I truly look forward to seeing what both will come to produce.