Horror fans rejoice! The 2025 horror film The Monkey is finally available on Hulu to watch. I’ll tell you this: I. WASN’T. READY.
For those unaware, the GOAT of horror writers, Stephen King, wrote a short story called “The Monkey” about a toy that brings great misfortune to those who use it.
Neon hired Longlegs director Osgood “Oz” Perkins to helm The Monkey…so the hype for this was REAL. Visually alone, you knew the film was going to deliver on looks with Perkins behind the camera.
I’m telling you, more people need to not watch trailers before seeing the movie, because everything was a mystery to me going into this. The flip side? I was mad I didn’t watch it sooner!
Warning: The Monkey spoilers to follow!
Twenty seconds into the movie, and I was thinking: WHY THE HELL is Adam Scott in this, and why didn’t I know sooner? I’m sure Parks & Rec and Severance fans will laugh when they hear I know him for his role as Tom in Krampus.
The entire opening was wonderfully unhinged, and I did not have “Adam Scott weilding flamethrower to roast the monkey” on my bingo card…especially in the first five minutes. A small role, but nothing small about it.
After seeing the childhood of Hal and Bill, we meet the adult version of Hal, who is played by none other than Theo James. Most would probably know him for his role in the Divergent films. He plays the role of both adult Hal and adult Bill.
I thought the performance(s) by him perfectly suited the film’s dry, ridiculous humor. We have been getting a lot of “twin” tropes lately in cinema, and I thought they kept the two characters away long enough for it not to be jarring. (Still, fraternal twins are a thing, man, and I would like to see more actors get leading role chances)
Bill, who eventually was driven mad by the not-a-toy monkey, kept seeing the Monkey everywhere he went, which meant we got to see the monkey in stripper form, shaking it for dollar bills. Seriously, some shots in this film are absolutely wild.
One of the biggest laughs was seeing Bill wearing his kid-sized funeral attire as an adult after he said he was never taking it off as a child, which clued audiences right away that he was fully off the deep end.
The entire film was really carried by the performances, like Tatiana Maslany as the mom. Her death was terrifying, but her character was hilarious for what little time she had on screen. It felt like her character rubbed off on the sons, which checks out, since she’s their mom.
Rohan Campbell, better known for his role as Corey in Halloween Ends, played Ricky was hilarious. He simply wanted the monkey back because it reminded him of his dad…and he was willing to kill for it.
And a special shout-out to the rookie priest, played by Nicco Del Rio. Very brief screentime, but every line had me in stitches.
The film is indeed a bloody mess. The gore isn’t only present, it’s in your face, hands, arms, legs…all over. It felt very similar to a Final Destination movie, only without knowing who would die next. No doubt, The Monkey is a MUST-WATCH for any horror fan.
What did you think about The Monkey? Comment below!
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