‘The Monkey (2025)’ – A twisted and funny horror story

The Monkey is what the world needs right now. With years of a deadly pandemic, one devastating global conflict after the other, and the looming threat of climate change, the existential threats feel ever-growing. There’s so much to be concerned about that the result is a numbness that leads to an almost unrelenting apathy just so one can go about their day.

The Monkey channels its eerie influence into the lives of twin brothers Bill and Hal. As they struggle with their father’s absence, they come across a wind-up monkey among his belongings. Seemingly harmless, they play with it, turning the key on its back, causing the monkey to bang its drum, along with the unfortunate side-effect of someone nearby dying horrifically.

From that moment on, death seems to follow the two brothers, so much so that it leaves them numb to it. They isolate themselves from loved ones and speak of the terrible things they witness with a startling frankness. The movie leans into this, presenting each moment of horror with a comedic framing.

One death in particular feels like the type of thing you’d see befall Daffy Duck, except instead of seeing stars, the victim sees a gruesome end. The Monkey finds the common ground of horror and comedy. Both genres are predicated on impeccable timing, which The Monkey has in spades. Though the film wants you to revel in its creative mayhem, it’s not without purpose.

In The Monkey, death should mean more to its characters. There’s a call to action to be sure as the brothers work their way to breaking the monkey’s curse, but on the way to doing so the body count is so high that there’s simply no time to mourn the dead. Seeing the countless deaths unfold is thrilling in the moment, but the indifference that follows is eerily similar to scrolling past terrifying news stories on your phone.

As a film it’s entertaining and gives you inventive thrills and characters worth following. Theo James plays against himself, as does Christian Convery as the younger set of twins. Both deliver gripping performances, and paired with the direction of Osgood Perkins, makes for a captivating film, with a dark reflection of the modern day.

Rating: Big Screen Watch

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies