The character in question is a toy monkey who once wound up plays the drums but this rhythmic interlude has a downside and one with fatal consequences. And those vivid fatalities are so imaginatively and comically staged, they almost defy description. You are quarantined to laugh out loud whether you like it or not.

Let’s put it this way if you applied the drinking game rules to every death scene in this film you would be absolute blotto before the end of the first half. You would have also laughed yourself silly. The ground rules laid out by Stephen King’s 1980 short story provide the building blocks for some truly outrageous fun. This rapid escalation of casualties lasts until the final scene and it’s a doozy.

Those with squeamish sensibilities, know that the gore is played mostly for laughs and is very imaginatively staged. British actor Theo James is very effective as the twin brothers who inherit the toy from their late father. It takes little more than a taste of the absurd to really enjoy The Monkey. If you find this kind of film a bit too much you need to realign your priorities because it’s one not to miss.
Rob Hudson
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The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.

But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.

The Monkey is based on the short story by Stephen King, written and directed by Osgood Perkins and stars Theo James.

The Monkey is coming to Australian cinemas on February 20, 2025.
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