When last we saw Osgood Perkins, he was delivering one of the best thrillers of 2024. His film, Longlegs, was set in the 1990s and felt like a good throwback to classic films of the genre. That included a creepy killer and some stunning visuals.
Naturally, that made us all curious about what he would do as a follow-up. We got that answer Friday, as his latest feature, The Monkey, released nationwide. Based on a short story from Stephen King, it again allowed him to capture a 1990s vibe—at least for a while—while giving us something completely different.
Was it worth checking out? Let’s dive in!
The film follows a pair of twin brothers—Hal and Bill. As youths in 1999, they’re played by Christian Convery. They live with their mother (Tatiana Maslany) after their father, a pilot, disappeared. But he did leave them a legacy of treasures he brought back, including a wind-up monkey. Bill tries it out, but nothing happens—at first.
Soon, they brothers are out with their babysitter at a fancy dinner. The unthinkable happens and she dies badly. Hal begins to suspect the Monkey was the cause. Tired of his brother’s constant torture, Hal turns the key hoping the Monkey will dispatch his brother. It doesn’t work.
The brothers end up living in Maine. They try to rid themselves of the Monkey, but it doesn’t work. So, they drop it down the well hoping it will disappear. It does, for a while.
Flash forward 25 years later and Hal (Theo James) gets a call from Bill. Another person has died, badly, and the Monkey is back. Hal heads back to his hometown to find the Monkey and end its reign of terror.
Perkins has a feel for horror films. He also has a feel for some comedy, and this film has both in equal measure. We even get a fun cameo from Perkins himself who, in a couple scenes, captures some of the horror and comedy. He’s far from the other actor to make an appearance. We get Adam Scott and Elijah Wood appearing in cameos, too. All of it is fun and creative.
I enjoyed James here in a dual role. He does a nice job in narration—from the perspective of both brothers at times—filling in the gaps in the story. I also really enjoyed Maslany as their mother who delivers in a few key scenes.
But mostly, this film is about the lavish death sequences. They’re surprising, well shot, and often gruesome. But that’s the point. And despite a savage level of violence, the film leaves space for some comedy and some fun surprises throughout. I had a blast watching this quirky horror comedy in theaters, and I suspect many others will as well. This is a fun film that is one of my favorites of 2025 so far.
The Monkey is now playing in theaters nationwide.