The Monkey (2025): A Twisted Symphony of Gore, Comedy, and Cursed Nostalgia

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The Monkey is a wildly imaginative—and divisive—psychological horror-comedy directed by Osgood Perkins, based on Stephen King’s chilling 1980 short story. Released theatrically in February 2025 and streaming on Hulu by August, the film earned attention for its grisly creativity, dark humor, and thematic depth rooted in trauma, legacy, and random cruelty ).

Table of Contents

Plot and Premise

The film centers on twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (both played by Theo James, with younger versions by Christian Convery), whose lives are haunted by a cursed, drum-beating toy monkey discovered in their childhood attic. Whenever the toy is wound up, arbitrary but lethal deaths unfold around them. The brothers eventually go their separate ways as adults—until the monkey resurfaces and unleashes still more carnage, dragging them back into its brutal cycle Tatiana Maslany plays Lois, their fraught mother. The supporting cast includes Colin O’Brien (Hal’s son Petey), Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Elijah Wood, and Adam Scott.

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Tone & Genre: Horror Meets Dark Comedy

The Monkey is unflinchingly gory yet colored with sardonic wit. Director Osgood Perkins deftly blends macabre humor and shocking visuals—comparing it to a twisted Final Destination spliced with Coen Brothers-style black comedy , ).

However, reactions to this tonal mix are divided—some appreciate the originality, while others find the narrative jarring or emotionally hollow .

Critical Reception & Audience Scores

Rotten Tomatoes: 78% critic approval (based on ~289 reviews); general audience rating at 56%. Critics called it, “Cruelly clever with some unforgettably gory set pieces” .
Industry Reviews: Outlets like Variety and Hollywood Reporter pointed to narrative unevenness and weak character depth despite strong visuals
Audience Feedback (Reddit):

“I went with a buddy… We jumped, we laughed. People at the theater were loving it as well.”
“It’s a cocktail of black comedy, blood, and existential absurdity.”

Box Office & Distribution

Produced on a budget of $10–11 million, The Monkey grossed approximately $68.9 million worldwide, marking it a strong commercial success .

It premiered in U.S. theaters on February 21, 2025, with an early festival screening at Beyond Fest. The trailer broke records, accruing over 100 million views within 72 hours and becoming the most-watched indie horror trailer ever

Production & Technical Craft

Filming Locations: Canada and New England offered the perfect moody, retro backdrops. The filmmakers emphasized practical effects, animatronic enhancements, and near-total avoidance of CGI Cinematography: Styled by Julie Kirkwood (although some sources list Nico Aguilar), the camera relies on wide-angle frames, slow zooms, and muted tones to amplify tension.
Sound & Music: Composer Edo Van Breemen (and in some reports, Mark Korven) used unsettling, minimalist scoring and psychoacoustic sound design—such as echoing drum beats—to heighten discomfort.

Themes & Symbolism

Inherited Trauma & Time: The monkey toy symbolizes a haunting from the past that continues to torment the present—highlighted through time jumps and generational echoes .
Fate vs. Randomness: The monkey kills seemingly at random, despite clear rules, provoking existential dread around fate and chance.
Dark Legacy: Parallels can be drawn between the director’s personal lineage—son of Psycho’s Anthony Perkins—and the film’s thematic obsession with death and legacy .

**Why The Monkey Matters**

Original Horror Format: Combines splatter gore with comedic absurdity in a way rare even among Stephen King adaptations.
Strong Box Office Performance: Demonstrates that audacious adaptations can thrive commercially and critically.
Cult Appeal: Its shocking kills, dark humor, and unresolved mythology have already attracted a devoted fan base .

Conclusion

The Monkey (2025) stands as a bold and messy yet memorable entry into modern horror. With its lurid homicidal toy, twisted humor, and fractured family saga, it may not resonate with everyone—but it undeniably offers an unforgettable cinematic experience. For horror fans craving violent originality, psychological scares, and audacious tone shifts, The Monkey is worth the watch.

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