The Wasteland Reviewer

The Monkey (2025) Written Review

What makes a drum playing monkey so terrifying? This monkey has big, dark, soulless eyes. That grin is probably something of a nightmarish visual. The tension that builds when it is spinning its little drumstick and raring to let it drop. The aggression in which it plays those drums when the time comes is just unnerving. Then you have that music. The campy and silly carnival music takes on a whole different feel of terror. That monkey is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Osgood Perkins’ adaptation of Stephen King’s short story. 

What vibe does Perkins’ bring to the table when it comes to The Monkey. Simply put…demented. This film is gleefully demented. This film has no right to be as funny as it is. There is a wide range of humor that Perkins works with to make this film work. There is a dark…I mean DARK sense of humor. The brutality of the kills is drenched in campy physical comedy. The interactions are cringey and awkward in a strangely satisfying way. Perkins taps into the darkness of life and the strangeness of humanity. But that monkey is terrifying as well with crazy fever dreams and unnerving screen presence. The running theme of “accidents” opens the door for consistently shocking and unexpected. This film is full of twisted moments delivering such a wild ride. 

Story-wise, does Perkins deliver too? You can certainly feel that this film is a stretched out short story as not every thread feels as significant. The narrative drive also putters out a bit towards the third act. But this film engrossed us in the unfortunate tale of Hal and Bill. Consistent tragedy strikes these boys as the first act sets up their childhood in an energetic, unexpected, and thrilling way. The film takes an unauthentic approach to the world as it feels like a strange, dark, and warped version of our reality. Perkins works well in it and finds humanity for us to latch onto. Themes centered around fatherhood, family, and the certainty of death bring depth to this otherwise bonkers and bloody good time. We feel for a few of the characters as they come to their horrific demise even if many of the characters feel more like cannon fodder. The true nature of what is driving the mounting deaths in the film connects well to its themes and delivers an emotionally resonant conclusion. 

Can the cast deliver on the same energy as Perkins’ story and direction? The titular entity might be the real star of the film, but Theo James must anchor it all down. His dual performances are honestly two of the best performances of his career. He channels a fire underneath the surface as they are both prone to emotional outbursts. The awkwardness and off beat nature of his two performances match Perkins’ energy perfectly. Tatiana Maslany maximizes her minimal screen time as their wild mother who channels a dark twisted vibe and perspective on the world. There are a few standout supporting turns in minor roles including Elijah Wood (so pompous and repulsive), Perkins himself (so awkward yet hilarious), and Tess Degenstein (who is gleefully over-the-top). You love to see everyone vibing in the same way…even when it is so twisted like this film. 

Does The Monkey live up to the horror legacy of King and Perkins? This is not scary in the way you might expect after Longlegs, but its twisted humor and terrifying monkey sure delivers the goods. Perkins finds a perfect feeling of vintage B-horror pleasure (with plenty of fun needle drops and one of the darkest senses of humor in the genre recently. Not everything 100% clicks but it sure keeps you going throughout the reasonable runtime. Perkins delivers some wild horror/comedy alchemy, and we all benefit from it.