The Monkey is a totally bananas horror comedy that unleashes a bloody streak of disturbing and gory deaths in the most comical way imaginable, weaving together the minds of two of the horror genres’ most impressive talents in what is bound to be one of the most entertaining horror films of the year.

 

When you think of Stephen King horror stories, you think of dark, atmospheric tales full of rich themes that instantly get under your skin and rattle you to your core. Stories like The Shining, Pet Sematary and Salem’s Lot instantly jump to mind as the masterful and disturbing stories this horror legend has terrified the public with, both in the written and cinematic form. The latest film adapting one of his short stories, from director Osgood Perkins who is riding a high after the success of last year’s Longlegs, is the exact opposite of what you have come to associate with the works of King: incredibly gory, over the top, and outrageously hilarious. But that does not mean that The Monkey is not an absolute blast to experience with a sold out crowd on the big screen, because this shocking and bloody affair is a pure jolt of devilish entertainment in the most twisted way imaginable as it mashes up King’s storytelling with the Final Destination franchise in what is bound to be one of the most enjoyable and gory horror films of the year!

 

For those looking for bloody and shocking deaths on screen, The Monkey delivers that in spades. From the first time that the monkey is wound up and begins banging his drum, there is a sense of fear that Perkins instills in the film as you know someone is about to die. But the bloody mayhem that unfolds in each death is not something that you can prepare yourself for. Deeply gruesome, twistedly creative and hilarious in the most disturbing way imaginable, each death scene will have theatres erupting into laughter and screams simultaneously. At times viewers will be covering their eyes and overcome with fear as Perkins does a long tease for the mayhem that is about to unfold, while other times the deaths hit them like a freight train and you can’t help but to laugh at the maddening and grotesque imagery on screen. Regardless of the buildup to each death scene, each one is brought to life by practical special effects and fake blood, giving both the toy monkey and the entire film a dangerous tone that will keep audiences on their toes to see how high the body count goes in this movie. And don’t be fooled, it’s a very high body count!

Even with the over the top violence and use of blood that splatters across the screen throughout The Monkey, you can see the heart of King’s story woven in throughout. The story of two brothers, defined by their family’s trauma caused by the titular monkey, and the collision course it sends them on as the monkey wreaks havoc on the town that they grew up in is the core of King’s story. As with lots of King’s writing, Perkins capture the trauma and hurt within his screenplay as we watch the film’s lead character Hal grapple with his relationships with his estranged bully of an older brother Bill and his son Petey that he chose to distance himself from in hopes of protecting him from the monkey’s wrath. But, with the over the top comedic deaths and bloodbath that Perkins has crafted for the film, intentionally crafting a more comedic film than King’s story, tonally it feels like there are two different films at play: one more serious family drama, and one outlandish horror comedy that has you gleefully laughing before the monkey claims his next victim. The balancing of the two tones at times is a little jarring and feels slightly uneven in Perkin’s screenplay, but the overall film is deeply entertaining and it's easy to look past this narrative shortcoming.