The Monkey [Movie Review]

The Monkey [Movie Review] | When I learn that the movie is based on Stephen King's short story, I know that I have to watch it, even though I know for a fact that many novel-to-movie adaptation of Stephen's failed. 

Will this suffer the same fate?

SYNOPSIS

The Monkey (2025) Trivia

• Starring: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott & Elijah Wood
• Director: Osgood Perkins
• Producer: James Wan, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones & Chris Ferguson
• Production Company: Black Bear Pictures, Atomic Monster, The Safran Company & C2

• Distributed by: Neon

• Release date: February 21, 2025

• Running time: 98 minutes

• Rating: MA

• Country: United States
• Language: English
• IMDb: 6.7/ 10
• Tomatometer: 78%
• Metascore: 63% 
• Based on a short story from Stephen King's 'Skeleton Crew'. Following Stephen King tradition, the majority of the movie is set in a town in Maine, USA.
• The director chose a drum instead of cymbals for the monkey because Disney owned the rights to the cymbal version after featuring it in Toy Story 3. Ironically, Toy Story 3 included the cymbal monkey because its director, Lee Unkrich, is a Stephen King fan.

In 1999, Petey Shelburn, a a pilot, tries to get rid of a cursed toy monkey, but it keeps coming back. He gives it to a pawn shop, urging the owner to never let the monkey hit the drum, when suddenly the toy starts drumming and the owner ends up killed.

Not long after, he vanishes, leaving his wife, Lois, to raise their twin sons—timid Hal and cruel Bill.  

Years later, the boys find the monkey in their father’s old belongings and wind its key. That night, the toy starts drumming, and their babysitter is gruesomely killed. The pattern continues: Hal, hoping to rid himself of Bill, turns the key again, but their mother dies instead. Wracked with guilt, he tries to destroy the monkey, but it survives, inexplicably reappearing when they move in with their aunt and uncle. Bill, fascinated by its power, tests it, leading to their uncle’s horrifying death. The twins finally seal the monkey in a box and toss it down a well, praying it's gone for good.  

Decades later, Hal is estranged from Bill and his own son, Petey, whom he barely sees. He distants himself from everyone as he doesn't want any more death of loved ones around him. 

When he learns his ex-wife plans to cut him out of Petey’s life entirely, he struggles to connect with the boy. Meanwhile, back home, their aunt Ida dies suddenly. At her estate sale, a local teen, Ricky, unknowingly buys the monkey. The deaths begin again.  

Bill, obsessed and vengeful, retrieves the monkey, convinced Hal used it to kill their mother. He demands Hal bring Petey to him, intending to use the boy to trigger the monkey’s deadly power. When Hal refuses, Ricky, now brainwashed by Bill, kidnaps them both.  

Inside Bill’s booby-trapped house, Petey narrowly avoids disaster, but Bill tricks him into turning the key. Ricky dies instantly. Bill, desperate for control, forces the monkey to drum wildly, unleashing chaos across town. 

Can they turn off the curse?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• I get to watch the adaptation of a  story by my favorite horror author.
• Beautiful performance by the cast.

What I Don't Like:

• Not that scary. 
• I don't know why but I think the jump scare kinda hilarious and cheap? 
• Sadly, this one suffers the same fate - the adaptation is not successful. 

Will I Watch It Again: I might be, but not my go-to movie.   

Overall: 4.0/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

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