Just two months into 2025 and our cinematic cups runneth over when it comes to comedic horror films. We’ve had Heart Eyes, Companion, and now The Monkey to add to this list of horror movies that also aim to bring the laughs.
The Monkey comes to us from Longlegs director Osgood Perkins, though this cheeky black comedy is based on a Stephen King story rather than reaching for Silence of the Lambs thriller vibes.
Christian Convery plays teenage twins Hal and Bill, who are haunted by their father’s abandoned wind-up monkey toy. It seems that if you “turn the key and see what happens,” you’ll inadvertently cause a horrific and often cartoonish death. Think of it like Final Destination by way of Stephen King.
After a series of monkey-related family tragedies, some with weight and some played strictly for comedy—including an excellent hard cut that drew huge laughs at my screening—the boys chuck the toy down a well, hoping to rid themselves of the curse. But the monkey isn’t done with them and there’s still a lot more fake blood to be spilled.
Theo James is the grown-up version of the twins. Nerdy Hal is withdrawn and nervous, rarely spending time with his son (Colin O’Brien) for fear that the curse will somehow follow him. He’s estranged from his brother, who has basically become a total psychopath.
What follows is a little bit of family drama, a little bit of narrative, but mostly a variety of creative kills designed to get a reaction from the crowd in the theater. There were a few that strayed just a bit too far into goofy slapstick for me, but some were so blunt and well-timed that I couldn’t help but laugh.
The Monkey doesn’t seek to give us metaphors or messages. If anything, the family dynamics can occasionally pause the pace and distract from the film’s key strength: creative and funny gore.
So, while the film doesn’t quite live up to its stellar marketing campaign, The Monkey does provide decent entertainment and a few genuine macabre laughs.