Stephen King’s latest horror offering has finally descended upon cinema screens, sending shivers down the spines of moviegoers.
Adapted from one of King’s more obscure short stories from the 1980s, the film is helmed by Osgood Perkins, the mastermind behind last year’s spine-tingler, Longlegs.
This time around, Perkins steers his audience through a wildly divergent yet equally hair-raising journey with The Monkey, a stark departure from the creeping dread of Longlegs.
Featuring Theo James, this frenzied horror-comedy revolves around a malevolent wind-up monkey toy that unleashes a relentless and blood-soaked spree of ingeniously entertaining demises.
After inadvertently sparking a calamity with the accursed plaything, twins Hal and Bill Shelburn (portrayed by Christian Convery) pledge to leave their past behind. However, when accidents begin to plague him years later, an older Hal (James) becomes convinced that the sinister monkey is stalking him once more.
The film has garnered acclaim from horror enthusiasts, particularly for its wickedly grotesque series of kills attributed to the monkey.
Empire magazine praised the film, stating: “The main sustenance is course after course of ketchup-covered set-pieces that recall Peter Jackson’s Braindead or the last act of Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise in their gleeful nastiness, and the Final Destination movies in their Mousetrap-style, chain-of-calamity inventiveness.
“Don’t expect the true terror of Perkins’ Longlegs or King’s source story. Do expect plentiful gags to make you, well, gag. The best scenes here are a gory glory.”
The Irish Times hailed the film as a delight for fans of horror, proclaiming: “Good old-fashioned disgusting fun. You’ll have a blast.
“Based on the Stephen King story, Osgood Perkins’s new film delivers spectacularly gruesome beheadings, eviscerations and disembowelment.”
One eager horror aficionado shared their early viewing experience on Reddit, saying: “The kills are unapologetically over-the-top – with a few straight out of the Final Destination playbook – and the dialogue is just as exaggerated, particularly from Bill.
“Rather than sloppy writing, these are intentional choices by Perkins, using absurdity as a vehicle to explore weightier ideas.”
On Letterboxd, another film enthusiast praised Perkins’s ability to cater to hardcore horror fans: “Oz Perkins really knows how to deliver for the sickos and the horror freaks.
“The Monkey is gory straight chaos from start to finish. Hilarious, dark toned and unserious as f***!! I was having the f***ing time of my life. Some of the most blood splattered, unique and creative kills I’ve seen in any horror film recently. Multiple contenders for kills of the year I’d say.”
Another user couldn’t contain their excitement, exclaiming: “Osgood Perkins absolutely snapped here with The Monkey. Stephen King giving him the keys to this deliriously entertaining, blood soaked film only proves he can pull out the very best from total madness!
“It’s grim carnage with a mischievous sense of humour that only serves as a reminder that the horror genre can be both deeply unsettling, and outrageously entertaining in the same breath.
“I mean my goodness the kills I saw in this film were a thing of twisted beauty, and it never seemed to lose its sense of playfulness in moments of sheer chaos.”
They also highlighted a standout element: “And that monkey.. that eerie, clattering monkey… instant icon anyone? I THINK SO.”
With an impressive 85 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems many critics share this enthusiasm, making it a promising watch for those brave enough to face The Monkey’s curse this weekend.
The Monkey is in cinemas now.