The Monkey (2025)

The movie will appeal to fans. It's a very scary movie. I'm not an amateur, so it's so-so. It's not boring at all, the time even flew by quickly. There was nothing to joke about, as it's hard to accurately describe a comedy, only children laughed a couple of times in the cinema during the whole movie. I think this is an indicator that it was clearly not funny. And the murder scenes are nasty, which is probably the accent, but wildly stupid. Why shoot death like that? For downs?

Did you like the movie

The film is based on Stephen King's short story of the same name, written back in 1980. Admittedly, this is not the first film adaptation, before that, in 1984, the film "The Devil's Gift" was shot, which I personally did not like. Osgood Perkins directed the same film, adapted the script himself, and played a small cameo role as Uncle Chip. The adults Hal and Bill were played by Theo James, and admittedly very well, and the story in the film turned from a creepy story into a trash with elements of black humor. Anyway, Perkins changed history a lot, and even the Monkey, by taking away its timpani and giving it a drum. But I don't want to say that it somehow hurt the film as a whole. It is already clear that if the Monkey plays, then someone will die, and at this moment devilish ingenuity is manifested, and it is from an accident, as in "Destination". And the ending is so tough, but connoisseurs of CHIU will be delighted! I liked it, even if it was far from the original, but I accept and support this vision! Well done, Perkins! Burn more!!

The Monkey (2025) is a dark and atmospheric film adaptation of Stephen King's short story, which leaves behind a sense of disturbing tension. The director managed to convey the spirit of the original work, while retaining the horror characteristic of King with elements of a psychological thriller. The plot, where a sinister monkey toy becomes a source of nightmares, keeps you in suspense from the very first minutes. The visual style and soundtrack enhance the sense of impending disaster. If you like horror films with deep subtext and atmosphere, Monkey is a worthy choice, especially for fans of King's work. However, you should be prepared for a dark and sometimes difficult narrative. It's worth watching!

A scream greeted the destination, and it turned out to be a monkey from Toy Story

I just came from the cinema. I didn't choose the movie, I was walking blindly, and you know... it's funny. Although I think I was the only one laughing in the whole room. 🤷🏻♀️Apparently, the rest are not connoisseurs of such humor. Well, okay, but I got the most out of watching it.

All of a sudden, Elijah Wood appeared in the movie! Of course, it took only half a minute of screen time, but for some reason I was incredibly pleased. It seems to me that if he were in the main character's place it would be better (maybe then I wouldn't be the only one laughing). He has such an expressive face. It makes you smile by itself.

It seemed like a horror movie, but it turned out to be a comedy.

It's quite watchable. I even laughed involuntarily at the bus scene at the end.) But the one that came out at the same time was better.

I want to buy such a toy)
Well, not a devil obsessed) but just)

It's more of a comedy film than a scary one. A lot of black humor, vulgar jokes. Yes, I agree, the film is more for those who like "Very scary movies"

Cool. You can watch it once. Of course, there are no deep meanings in the "Monkey". And it's not clear what this whole plot is all about (very simple, just primitive and basic, and the ending is just a classic). But I repeat, it's cool. That's the most appropriate word.

What does it look like? I came across a review on the Internet that the film is a symbiosis of "Soul Collector" and "The Simpsons." They probably compared it to Longlegs because of the visual, but I'll tell you more about the yellow men. Yes, it looks like it. Humor and caricature characters: everyone can be described/drawn according to their characteristic external features and character traits. It's also a direct "Destination," but the victim doesn't know what to pick up. And violent scenes (there's a lot of violence) — on the TV series "Boys".

Speaking of violence. The meat starts from the first minutes, but the bloody scenes are not nasty. And the murders are ridiculous and original.

Humor. Sometimes it's so stupid and unfunny that it's very funny (not everyone will like that). Top joke: "The city is the birthplace of the locals" (brilliant, right?).

The painting is based on King's short story. By the way, there are references to his work in the film (the same axe from The Shining, his beloved Maine).

An interesting detail: the primate toy changed emotions and facial expressions throughout the film (just barely perceptibly, but that's the point).

I went to the cinema for this picture. The impressions are excellent, of course, this time King was pleased with the film adaptation, in the treatment of Perkins and the excellent performance of Theo James, with whom, after the Traveler's Wife, I watched almost all the films. In general, it's definitely worth going.
Black comedy in all its glory, even inspired a review of the Sinister Dead and Stan.

Once again, the slag was removed by King. The movie is a mess, it's better not to waste time and watch something else, unfortunately I went blind to this movie.

All adaptations of King (TV series and films) https://en.myshows.me/lists/12347/

Rare shit

It's a pretty funny movie) I enjoyed watching it

It's not a bad horror movie for three

Disgusting viser

The best film of this director, but the campaign is still not the one that I would like to review after a while.

Destination Vibes

I don't know. It's not funny enough for a black comedy, it's not scary enough for horror movies. The beginning is quite cheerful, but with the matured characters, the narration slows down and becomes boring. At first I thought it was a pity I didn't go to the cinema, but in the middle I was glad that I didn't go. Death... Well, funny deaths, but nothing more. You can see that Perkins tries in every movie, but it's like it's not enough every time, something is missing all the time.

"#34; Everyone is dying. That's life. I'm going to die and you're going to die too. All your friends will die, all their parents, all their pets, and so on. Some of us will leave quietly, in our sleep, while others will scream painfully, in convulsions, tied to the radiator, but no one will hear them through the gag. Well, whatever. Let's go dance."

Well, not a bad movie
You can watch it once)
Let's wait now " Monkey. Home" )))

In short, the whole humor is built on the abundance of deaths, the equanimity of the characters, and King's signature greasy jokes. Surprisingly, with all this, the film turned out to be sluggish. It feels like you're being told the same thing over and over again. It's like something is happening, and yet nothing is happening.

The voiceover tells the story, but it's again about how everyone dies, and of course, that death is inevitable.

If the characters are talking, they are talking about the inevitability of death and that accidents are not accidental. I understand why this is done, but guys, get it over with, it doesn't work that way!

If you do decide to go to the cinema, then be sure to consider the genre. Don't expect horror, but high-quality humor too. The film is frankly average.

Considering that even good horror movies often have a low rating, this one should initially stick to King's name, and then fly into the red zone. That's where he belongs.

And one last thing.

After watching it, answer yourself: if you hadn't been told it was King, would you have liked it?

I'm sorry, but that's nonsense. There is nothing instructive (although they tried to show the conflict between fathers and children), jokes are not in a hurry, horror stories are not scary. A passing film for the background.
But what I didn't understand as much as possible was the smoking grandfather on a horse at the end of the film. Is he a ghost? Is he a spirit? Was he...? Was he even fucking needed there?

I only liked Adam Scott at the very beginning))

I expected more from the movie. It turned out to be an average movie, the humor for a black comedy is weak.

Funny kinzo
A couple of stellar cameos
Good murders
A reference to misery
A classic joke about Russians
Jokes like from the 80s

Well, what else do you need?)))

Come on, why do many people hate. It's not that bad. The murders are funny, and stylishly shot and very old-school. the plot, of course, goes completely into the background, but this does not interfere at all. the film fulfills its task, and this is the main thing.

I didn't come here for the plot, the film was pulled out even funnier and more ridiculous than at the destination. It'll do just fine

Director Osgood made sure that the death of the characters took place as stupidly and effectively as possible, resembling cartoon episodes. So, an electric shock causes a person to explode unnaturally; a chef's knife sends his head flying into his own dish; and a herd runs through Osgood himself when he decides to spend the night in nature in a sunbed. His principle is simple: the more absurd the death, the better it fits into the story. There are definitely no second thoughts or deep themes to expect this time – this is a deliberately goofy movie with a heavy emphasis on black comedy.

Of course, you won't have to laugh out loud either, but some moments can be amusing. Especially where death looks so mundane that the characters just get tired of it. Another part of the audience will find interest in the links: There's the inscription "no food after midnight!" from Gremlins, and the poster of the Horror book series (how I loved it as a child), and the axe from The Shining, and a bunch of other greetings from the world of Stephen King film adaptations.

It's no secret that Osgood knows how to make high-class movies. A year ago, he presented a multi-layered "Soul Collector" designed in the same rhythm and style (https://t.me/kinoculture34/3135 ) about unhealthy love. This year, the director apparently had a desire to do something very simple, funny and bloody. That's how "The Monkey" appeared – a non-standard film adaptation of Stephen King's story, which the director turns into a black comedy about the inevitability of death. Perhaps this decision was influenced by his own life, which also begs for the big screen.

His father, known for his role as Norman Bates in Hitchcock's Psycho, died of AIDS. The mother died during the September 11 terrorist attack, while on board one of the planes that crashed into the twin Towers. It's hard to imagine experiencing such losses. It is not surprising that Perkins found a psychotherapeutic salvation in the film. It seems that the "Monkey" may be an attempt to laugh and let go of what is the scariest thing in life.

It seems that the separation of the Brand still had side effects.

A rather unusual kin

I had no hopes for the film, but I was not disappointed. An average, typical one-shot humorous horror movie.

The name of the town of Casco (a real-life town in Maine) seemed like a pun on casket, a coffin.
It was a funny movie, but it still felt like it was stuck exactly in the middle between a comedy and a thrash horror movie, probably it was necessary to lean in one direction, for example, more funny episodes and something like a Very scary movie would have turned out.

This year's best film in the genre of "Destination" for fans of humor

"Everyone is dying. Some of us are peaceful and asleep, and some of us are... awful. And this is life."
I'm writing a review, even though I haven't read the book.
"Monkey" is a movie based on a Stephen King short story, it's the worst feature film I've seen in the last week, the movie doesn't scare or make me laugh. The film drags out the first 10 minutes, then pushes away with its stupid introduction. I almost fell asleep watching this movie. Don't waste your time on this terrible movie.

Wasted time, nonsense, and boredom.

I haven't seen the movie fire for a long time. Black humor with an element of comedy.

What a mess... I began to fall asleep in the middle and watched it with a creak, hoping for an unexpected ending ...
It somehow reminded me of the Substance. Probably a mess of bodies...
what Substances that this movie is very much for the amateur💁♂️

This is a normal thrash machine) I got it)

The atmosphere is not up to the real horror, and the comedic elements rather confuse the mood. Theo James is trying his best, but overall the film didn't live up to expectations.

It's hardly horror, more of a black comedy, and for fans that it would smack like hell.😈

Say it was funny? No. But it's quite funny, the film left normal impressions, and the cast is good.
Ending base))

I expected more, in fact it's a humorous comedy, where the comical moments are the ridiculous deaths of people. In general, compared to other King adaptations, this one definitely doesn't look like something King-like, rather a sequel to a very scary movie. Maybe, of course, it was also comical in the book, I didn't read it.

It's a funny black horror movie, not exactly a comedy, but it turned out to be very bantering in some places.

Judging by the comments, I don't know how radically opposite emotions the film evoked.
This is a black comedy, based on the story of Stephen King of horror, and after watching 90% of the films based on him, this is exactly the kind of movie I expected, and I got even a little more than planned...
I assume that people who hate expected a completely different experience from space, but that's exactly what it looks like and such emotions are aroused by old King films, a moderately absurd, uniquely stylish and attentive to detail film, death scenes generally cause delight, now such a level of violence is rare.
It's not monsters, Ghosts, or spirits that cause horror, but an ordinary children's toy..
The second film in a row based on the maestro's stories, which I personally admired, was watched by Salem, which, of course, is also a future classic.

It's too exaggerated, too exaggerated, too stupid. In some places, the film breaks its own logic. I didn't like the jokes almost completely. The specifics of the murders are mostly the same. There were two or three funny moments and that was it.
The cast is nice, and I was hoping for them, but that didn't work out for me either.

5/10

The toy itself is cool, I would like to have the same one.

Creepy movie 🤣🤣🤣

It's a great story, very Stephen King-esque, but devoid of the "fear" element. The theme of death and its inevitability is well presented, there is something to think about. In fact, many important topics have been touched upon, which distinguishes the film from a standard horror film. It looks easy, since there are no screamers and you just don't have to wait for the movie to scare the viewer)

The movie is funny rather) But somewhere in the end, I fell asleep.

It's worthy of satire/black comedy. It's in the spirit of the destination, the deaths are stupid, unrealistic, and there's even some kind of joke in it. I liked the movie (especially Theo), the twin boys also played pretty cool. Bibizyanka is cool

"Yes, man is mortal, but that would be half the trouble. The bad thing is that sometimes he suddenly dies, that's the trick! And he can't even say what he's going to do tonight." © Woland

"I understand that everyone is dying. But everyone is really dying here. Simultaneously." © Petey Shelbourne

For whom the bell tolls

Young twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelborn find an incredible wind-up toy monkey in the attic. In the process of getting to know the mechanism of the toy, the children find out that the monkey is a real evil, and every time you turn it on with a key and it starts beating the drum, someone close to the Shelbournes dies. Hell and Bill decide to get rid of the monkey, but, firstly, it's quite late, and, secondly, after many years, the grown-up brothers are still overtaken by the past.

Tragedy and comedy are two sides of the same coin. It's not for nothing that they say that laughter is the best medicine, and many people love black humor. When Osgood Perkins (the recent mystical thriller Longlegs, which I already wrote about, was his handiwork) was approached by studio bosses, he read the original script based on Stephen King's short story of the same name and decided to add a comedic flair to the picture.

And it's easy to understand. On the one hand, the plot centers on a devilish clockwork monkey. Yes, when you look at it, a herd of goosebumps runs through your body, but still a toy that beats a drum - I suspect, by the way, that you can thank James Wang, a specialist in all kinds of fast-paced puppets, for his frightening appearance ("Saw", "Astral", "The Spell" with "Annabelle", "Dead Silence"), who produced the film. On the other hand, even looking at the aforementioned Wang's portfolio, there are already dozens, if not hundreds, of serious horror films about possessed toys in Hollywood. Perkins' desire to distance himself from such similar projects is understandable. In addition, Perkins took the story raised in "Monkey" to heart (just don't laugh), having conducted a kind of psychotherapy session. The fact is that Osgood Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins, who played the role of the maniac Norman Bates in Hitchcock's "Psycho" and, recognizing his non-traditional orientation, soon died of AIDS. Osgood's mother was a passenger on one of the planes that crashed during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

Osgood, after seeing the script, said, "People are dying around this monkey in the craziest ways. Hell, I'm an expert at this. My parents died in crazy ways worthy of media headlines. I've spent most of my life recovering from tragedy, feeling like shit the whole time. It all seemed unfair. I took the grief as something personal, like, why is this happening to me? Now that I'm older, I realize that this happens to everyone. Everyone is dying. Sometimes in a dream, sometimes in a completely insane way, as it was in my case. But everyone is dying. And I thought that maybe the best way to approach this crazy thought is with a smile."

I've heard the opinion that "Monkey" is a weak film, but, as for me, Osgood coped with the task one hundred percent. Yes, calling a "Monkey" subtle and refined is unlikely to work. But it's crazy and absurd in a good way. Like life itself, and especially death, which is always random and meaningless.

In fact, Osgood found himself in the place of Ron Howard from the recent TV series "Film Studio". Only there the famous director (his fictional version) strangled everyone to the point of impossibility with his self-therapy through art, here Osgood did exactly the opposite.

Almost every minute here is saturated with cynicism and the blackest humor. The characters seem to have escaped from the films of the Coen brothers and give out some completely ridiculous hilarious monologues and dialogues: a young priest on drugs, a swinging uncle (played by the director himself), a chef who likes to show off in a Japanese restaurant, a talkative realtor, an influencer stepfather (Elijah Wood, who is obviously just here for fun) and many other types of cheerleaders who go crazy with each new death. Sudden deaths are preceded by scenes that would not be a shame to insert into another "Destination." Moreover, Perkins does not limit himself and does not spare the audience, scattering the limbs of the characters in all directions and spraying the scenery and the screen with liters of blood. At such moments, it's both very funny and disgusting, and seconds before that, it's really tense - the monkey is beating out the rhythm very atmospherically, and the accompanying depressing music is doing its job.

The Shelbourne brothers themselves are also not the most difficult characters in the world, but that Christian Convery ("Sweet Tooth: The Boy with the Antlers"), that Theo James ("Gentlemen", "Divergent", "White Lotus") (in adulthood) convincingly portrayed in adolescence and adulthood, respectively, the age of the twins who are coping in different ways with the tragedy that destroyed their lives. Well, the interaction between Hal and Bill (I called him "Bill the Moron") is also very funny. The actors did their best. I would also like to mention Tatiana Maslany ("Dark Child", "Hulk Woman: Lawyer"), who came off here in the image of an extremely strange but loving mother.

Again, the plot itself is quite simple, but it doesn't seem to need unnecessary explanations (unlike, say, "Two, Three, demon, come!", which took itself too seriously and lacked lore). Thanks to Adam Scott's iron self-control ("Separation"), who usually plays straightforward characters, the viewer is quickly convinced in the prologue that the monkey is not to be trifled with, and where it came from is the tenth thing. But for all its simplicity, the story constantly presents surprises, raising the stakes (for example, I personally did not expect the final scale of what was happening), while at the same time it remains very personal.

"Monkey" confidently stands at the junction of two genres, despite the frankly stupid plot. Perkins doesn't get into moralizing or excessive and unnecessary drama here (it's probably a good thing that Frank Darabont wasn't able to adapt King's story immediately after "Mist", eventually losing the rights to it). The film is entertaining on all fronts: whether it's inventive and great-looking murders on the screen, or strange, absurd, cynical, but very funny humor. Perkins, as he wanted, shot a truly original comedy horror, different from the host of horror films about sinister dolls, and along the way one of the best Stephen King film adaptations of recent years. And, in my opinion, "Monkey" came out much better and more complete than his last year's thriller "Soul Collector".

Rating: 8 God strikes out of 10

Well, the usual comedy horror movie, now they're shooting everything you want based on King, something less successful turns out.

🙊🙈🙉 Hello, Osgood Perkins, I haven't seen you before, but I've heard a lot, I liked what you shot, you're clearly an ideological person with your visionary handwriting, with a non-trivial approach to business, honestly, remaking a serious Stephen King killer doll into irony was the best solution, you know, the trend on toys (forgive me, monkey, you're not a toy) are relevant now, and your painting probably collected money due to this, so it's safe to say that the best solution in the work was to remove strained seriousness and surrender to the will of chance and humor. As a result, we see from you a herd of horses trampling a peasant into mincemeat, or a Chekhov's gun in many scenes of reprisals with either a real barrel or a metaphor for that very grandfather's gun. But a sexy woman remains in the minute clock and flies away as quickly as she appeared, because there is no place for eroticism, everything goes the other way, as if exploding with an electric current of cliches.

The central idea of coming to terms with the phenomenon of death and how sometimes it is necessary to pull the strap of life further, going to dance, knowing that where honey is, there is tar, impresses, the monkey becomes a random roulette wheel inside the desires of the twins and punishes everyone very harshly, and the zoom of the animal's face is the most stylish thing that could be thought of with it. she literally doesn't move in the likeness of Chaka, but it still makes her feel uncomfortable with the understanding that people are a great danger, because they launch her from time to time, and she doesn't create the game herself. It turns out to be a smart movie inside such a frenzy. The author found a golden mean around black comedy and visual entertainment with a touch of King drama.

It's a weird, cool, trashy, and mind-blowing (literally) movie. Without some kind of super-powerful morality, it seemed to me a purely farcical joke of humor. 😄

To be honest, with a beer for once.

There are guts, blood, and meat, of course.. But there's more comedy than horror here.
The monkey is creepy, but even in the cartoon "Toy Story" it looked much scarier and screamed like a knife) 🐵
It's such a movie, you can watch it once. There's nothing funny or creepy about the movie.

It's a great movie, that's what's missing, it's a good movie, I give it a 5 out of 5. But soy won't work.

I only watched because of Theo James.

Thrash, heavily laced with sarcasm and with a strong vibe of "Destination". It could have been vivid and memorable, especially since there are some interesting and frightening/nasty moments. But I didn't pull it, for the most part it was boring to watch.

There's only one question about the film: why the hell isn't the ghostly grandfather on a horse King himself?
He's not so old that he doesn't have the energy for a cameo.

Well, or not Clint Eastwood. In the credits, this grandfather is Pale Rider.

I didn't like it.
For a black comedy, too much blah blah
It's too boring for a horror movie.
King's only name is...
disappointment

Well, I looked cleanly , I laughed cleanly :) But no more