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With: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott, Elijah Wood, Oz Perkins, Danica Dreyer, Tess Degenstein, Kingston Chan, Zia Newton
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Written by: Osgood Perkins, based on a short story by Stephen King
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Directed by: Osgood Perkins
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MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references
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Running Time: 98
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Date: 02/21/2025
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Chimp Change
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
In a break from his quietly moody horror movies, filmmaker Osgood Perkins embraces strange, cockeyed humor, along with gleefully excessive gore, for the inventive, yet odd, Stephen King adaptation The Monkey.
Twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (Christian Convery) live with their mother Lois (Tatiana Maslany), and know little about their mysteriously absent father. He was a pilot, and collected many souvenirs from around the world, all of which languish at the back of a closet. The boys, shy, bespectacled Hal and the more outgoing, bullying Bill, are fascinated by the closet and like to go through their father's things.
One day, Hal finds a wind-up drumming monkey toy, with hideously staring eyes, and an eerie grin. Not long after, their babysitter Annie (Danica Dreyer) is killed in a gruesome accident. After more horrible deaths, Hal tries to get rid of the toy. For many years things are quiet. But when grown-up Hal (Theo James) is spending a week with his estranged son Petey (Colin O'Brien), the monkey's dastardly deeds begin happening again.
The Monkey, which departs a good bit from King's 1980 short story, blindsides with its opening scene, showing a blood-soaked Adam Scott desperately trying to get rid of the monkey in a pawn shop. It ramps up with an insane killing right out of Final Destination, some dialogue worthy of the Coen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino, and a closing moment that commands the attention.
The humor continuously surprises throughout, jumping out at us at unexpected moments like a ghost or a serial killer. It can be innocuous, like Hal getting bullied in creative ways at school, or shocking, like some of the bizarre killings (they're so shocking that the only response is laughter). Some of the jokes don't land (especially one involving a group of cheerleaders) and others may detract slightly from the gravity of the situation, making light of tragedy.
But, nonetheless, The Monkey is rooted in death and mourning. The reality is that the characters have lost a great deal, and, in the end, the movie understands that loss, and empathizes with it. As the twins' mother (beautifully played by Tatiana Maslany) puts it, the best bet is to accept death, live in the moment, and dance.
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