It was in 1999, a year encompassed by paranoia over Y2K, with a theory that all technology would reset on January 1, 2000. However, in a small town in Maine, this threat is the least of worries for a pair of twins. Instead, their looming threat comes in the form of a toy monkey. This toy monkey is the antagonist in “The Monkey,” a recent film from Osgood Perkins. I recently watched “The Monkey” with my partner, and this is a wild ride of a film.
An adaptation of the 1980 Stephen King short story of the same name, “The Monkey” follows a pair of twin brothers named Bill and Hal Shelburn who discover a toy monkey with a drum (similar to that of one that crashes their cymbals) that once belonged to their father. Except this one was quite different from other toy monkeys. This one holds a morbid power: one twist of the key and he begins to bang his drum, and once the stick strikes down upon the drum, someone dies. However, these were not ordinary deaths. These deaths happen to be bizarrely brutal. The titular toy soon unleashes a plague upon this family, with an endless cycle of death surrounding the Shelburn twins and their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany).
In the lead role, Theo James delivers a great dual performance as Bill and Hal, giving both characters distinct personalities, specifically with the adult version of Bill. Bill is obsessed with the monkey, but this is not an average obsession. This obsession can be best described as borderline cultlike, as Bill worships this entity like a god. James gives an unhinged performance as Bill, with an example being a monologue he delivers, which shows that he views the monkey as being more than an evil toy. He sees the monkey as an all-powerful being, practically a deity. This casting is comparable to Jeremy Irons’ dual performance in David Cronenberg’s 1988 film “Dead Ringers,” which also featured a pair of twins as the leading characters. Not only was Theo James cast in a dual role, but the younger versions of Bill and Hal were also portrayed by the same actor, that being Christian Convery.
Osgood Perkins, who also wrote the film’s screenplay and has a small cameo role in the film as Chip (the uncle of the Shelburn twins), directs one of the most unconventional Stephen King adaptations out there.
Unlike his previous film “Longlegs,” Perkins’ adaptation of “The Monkey” is tonally the polar opposite, with splatters of dark comedy throughout the film blended with over-the-top horror. An instance where this aspect of the film shines through is during a funeral for one of the victims of the titular monkey, Annie Wilkes, a reference to the name that Stephen King would use for the antagonist of his 1987 novel “Misery.” At this funeral, a priest (played by Nicco Del Rio) delivers an unorthodox and eccentric eulogy — appearing baffled by the circumstances of her death — with this priest uttering a profanity as soon as he approaches the pulpit.
Another example of the blend of dark comedy and over-the-top horror is the opening sequence. From the very beginning of the film, in which the titular toy is torched with a flamethrower, it immediately becomes clear that it does not take itself too seriously. Perkins heavily utilizes the splatter comedy (also known as splatstick) subgenre for “The Monkey,” with a cornucopia of gore and creative kills splattered throughout the film’s runtime, consistently subverting expectations of the fate of each victim. There were moments with certain kills that caught my partner and me off guard.
Furthermore, a standout aspect of this film is the special effects created by Greg Pyne, who previously collaborated with Perkins on “Longlegs.” Pyne creates some grisly gore for the deaths in this film, splattering the screen with blood and guts during these unique moments.
“The Monkey” brings a unique blend of pitch black comedy, gory supernatural horror, truly creative ways to die, and an offbeat premise. This film showcases an unseen side of Osgood Perkins, with it being his first horror comedy as a director. “The Monkey” is an entertaining watch for any horror comedy fan this Halloween and will subvert any horror fan’s expectations.
One twist of the key, and it is all over.
“The Monkey” is available for purchase on Blu-ray and is also available for streaming on Hulu.
