The Monkey (Mini-Review)

The Monkey is an adaptation of the Stephen King short story. Petey Shelburn gets a strange toy monkey for his two sons. However, he regrets his decision and tries to have a pawn broker take it off his hands. This does not go as planned and Petey disappears leaving his wife a widow. One day his two sons find the toy monkey and the horror is allowed to continue. The Monkey was released in 2025. It was directed by Osgood Perkins. It stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, and Colin O'Brien.

There is a trailer for an upcoming movie after the credits.

I wasn't aware of what kind of horror I would be getting in this movie. All I cared about was the fact that the movie is a Stephen King adaptation and directed by Osgood Perkins. I really enjoyed The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) and Longlegs (2024) so was excited where the director went next. His movies are always a roller coaster unlike most mainstream films. I wasn't aware it was a horror comedy which explains part of the odd atmosphere.

The kills are graphic but sometimes have a lovely shading of humor. At one point in the movie a group of people are killed in a bus. The way it is framed got a chuckle out of me. Other times deaths are pure terror. Such as when Hal attempts to kill a bully with the monkey. But he quickly finds out the monkey doesn't take orders and kills someone close to him.

I don't know whether or not to credit the movie with addressing generational trauma. Petey, Hal's father, does end up gifting his sons with a killer toy monkey. Hal ends up with a son of his own that is eventually caught up in the toy monkey's machinations. This despite Hal trying to keep his son ignorant of the truth.

I would recommend The Monkey to fans of Stephen King. I would also recommend The Monkey to those looking for a good horror comedy.