“The Monkey” is the fourth-biggest Stephen King adaptation of 2025, but it’s the one that most cynically comments on the fact that Hollywood can’t get enough of King. Don’t get me wrong, the man has written some masterpieces, and his work has been adapted into masterpieces, but bah gawd, there are other authors out there.
Writer-director Osgood Perkins cannibalizes King’s 1980 short story into a parody of itself. His overrated “Longlegs” (2024) also has an Andy Kaufman-directs-horror tone but many did not notice, as they read Nic Cage’s performance as daring rather than absurd.
“The Monkey” more crisply does the trick of being both horror and parody, but unfortunately, neither is satisfying. On the serious side, Theo James (who would be perfect as a younger version of Peter Gallagher if such casting is ever needed) earnestly plays the 40-ish versions of twins Hal and Bill.
“The Monkey” (2025)
Director: Osgood Perkins
Writers: Osgood Perkins, based on Stephen King’s short story
Stars: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery
Playing the kid versions is Christian Convery, taking us through a good chunk of the story wherein Hal and Bill acquire a quasi-alive monkey toy and it kills people around them, as indicated when its drumstick lands.
On the unserious side, Perkins bastes the film with black comedy, like when the mom (Tatiana Maslany) explains the nature of death to Hal and Bill after a funeral: “Everybody dies. Some of us peacefully and in our sleep, and some of us … horribly.”
Can’t get enough King? Be careful what you wish for
If King was able to play his take on W.W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw” straight for the length of a short story, Perkins is not able to do the same for 98 minutes. Some gags are funny in an overripe bananas fashion. When a corpse is carried out of a house after the latest incident of random death courtesy of the monkey, the cheerleaders from Casco (Maine) High celebrate, shouting “There’s the body!”
Although the “Final Destination” parallels can’t be avoided, and a few kill sequences are creative, it should be noted that there is no tension. The pleasures would theoretically be found in creativity or randomness or gore. At one point, Hal meets his uncle and then we smash-cut to the uncle’s funeral and a narrated flashback explaining the bizarre way he was killed.
The rules aren’t well explained – although Perkins does better than the off-the-rails “Vicious” – and we don’t learn the precise motivation of the human villain till pretty late; it’s not surprising nor believable nor funny. James’ earnest performances are in the service of a family-bond story that’s never truly there.
We were ripe for this post-postmodern lark, but “The Monkey” outsmarts itself and never seems to mind.