A chilling warning comes from a disturbed airline pilot (played by Adam Scott), who arrives at a pawn shop covered in blood that isn’t his own, desperate to get rid of an eerie monkey. It’s not just any toy, though — it’s a mechanical organ grinder monkey, and it’s wreaking havoc. This sets the stage for The Monkey, Osgood Perkins’ latest horror film, a blend of family drama, dark humor, and gruesome mayhem. While it doesn’t always come together perfectly, the film never loses its intrigue or creativity, particularly in its inventively gruesome death scenes.
Perkins, drawing inspiration from a 1980 story by Stephen King, revisits themes from his previous film Longlegs — especially his evident fascination with creepy dolls. After watching this movie, you may never look at a monkey’s face the same way again.
At a deeper level, Perkins has a keen interest in exploring family dynamics. While Longlegs focused on the complex relationship between a mother and daughter, The Monkey shifts its attention to twin brothers. The film delves into their relationship, as well as the impact of their parents: a father who left a gaping hole in their lives and a mother who’s doing her best to hold things together.
It’s no surprise that Perkins is drawn to both horror and family drama. His father, Anthony Perkins, delivered one of the genre’s most unsettling performances in Psycho, and Perkins has often mentioned how his personal experiences influence his work.
In The Monkey, Perkins also infuses a dark, absurdist humor into the mix, adding an unpredictable and twisted layer to the film. It’s a lot to juggle, but it certainly makes for an intriguing watch.
Now, back to the pawn shop, where the monkey makes its first appearance. The shop owner brushes off the pilot’s warning about the toy’s dangers, but moments later, this proves irrelevant when he’s killed by an arrow.
The monkey, it turns out, triggers violent chaos whenever someone winds its key and sets the drums in motion (lesson number one: never wind the key!). The pilot attempts to destroy the creature with a flamethrower.
The story then shifts to 1999, where twins Hal and Bill Shelburn are rummaging through their late father’s closet (the same pilot from earlier in the film). They live with their single mother (Tatiana Maslany), who does her best to care for them. Hal is the sensitive, glasses-wearing child, while Bill is the troublemaker, known for having eaten most of the placenta at birth. Both roles are played by Christian Convery.
One evening, shortly after finding the monkey in a box, the boys go out with their kind-hearted babysitter to a hibachi restaurant. The monkey is left in the car. Not long after, the babysitter’s head is literally severed — and we’re not speaking metaphorically.
From there, things escalate. Hal, constantly bullied by Bill and his classmates, vents to the monkey, which keeps showing up in his bedroom or backpack, wishing Bill would die. But when the monkey’s drums start playing again, it’s their mother who falls victim.
The boys are then sent to live with their aunt and uncle. However, even after moving to a small town in Maine, the monkey continues to haunt them. They even try to dispose of it by throwing it down a well.
Then, 25 years pass.
When we catch up with Hal, he’s working a low-level job at a store. He’s alone, with no friends — which is surprising, considering he resembles actor Theo James (Adult Hal and Bill are both portrayed by James, with Hal’s signature glasses as the main distinguishing feature).
Hal is now a father, but his relationship with his teenage son, Petey (Colin O’Brien, delivering a heartfelt performance), is strained. They only spend time together once a year because Hal fears what the monkey might do. In many ways, Hal has become the absentee father his own dad was.
Complicating matters, just as Hal is on a road trip with Petey, his evil brother Bill is embarking on a sinister plan — and, naturally, the monkey is involved. Deaths begin occurring again, mixing horror and dark humor.
Does this combination work? That depends on how much you can stomach cartoonish violence. When paired with the film’s exploration of brotherly bonds and absent fathers, as Perkins does, it gives the movie an uneven tone. The unique, creatively depicted gore will likely find an audience, but others may be left with a clever, visually striking, albeit chaotic film.
The Monkey is rated R for its intense bloody violence, gore, language, and some sexual references. Its runtime is 98 minutes. Rating: 2 out of 4 stars.