The Monkey Drums Up a Disappointing Beat
Image Courtesy of Neon
By Luis Zonenberg
Hot off of his success with Longlegs, director Osgood Perkins returns with another trippy if incoherent horror tale. Based on the short story by the author of terror himself, Stephen King, we see Perkins now add a more twisted sense of humor to the typical King tropes. While it was a blast to see Nicolas Cage bring a real sense of camp and joy in Longlegs, it was interesting to see how this film would follow up such a great act.
The film focuses on twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (Theo James and Christian Convery) as they find a toy monkey in their dad’s closet. They wind up the monkey for fun, but find it takes someone’s life every time they do so. After it claims the life of their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany), they bury it in a well, but soon find themselves thrown back into the fray when it returns almost twenty five years later.
The story itself does take certain liberties with the source material, making it much more gory and macabre for comedic effect. While this certainly worked well for most of the first act, the tone sadly became very inconsistent after the time jump. Too many over-the-top jumpscares and jokes took away from the more serious moments of the film and failed to properly balance both sides of the story.
The pacing of the story also worked as a detriment to the film. Some parts worked well whenever the comedy called for a quick cutaway gag or amped-up the over-the-top death scenes. It sadly became quite sluggish once the second act kicked in, either dragging out a laugh or inserting one when the scene was going for a dramatic tone. The editing here was clearly hit or miss, sadly dragging the story down with it.
The acting truly helps anchor the story, with all of the cast members giving a charmingly quirky if not fashionably comedic performance. Theo James and Christian Convery steal the show as the Shelburn brothers, with each one having their own distinct personality. Tatiana Maslany and Colin O’Brien help anchor the story with their hilariously deadpan performances. Other stars like Adam Scott and Elijah Wood also help add some levity with their committed performances as well.
The production design and costumes also helped contrast the macabre elements of the story, easily making it feel more campy in tone. However, it was rather confusing that it took place in the 1990s when it looked more like it took place in the 1970s. Even when the time jump happens, it evokes vibes reminiscent of the 1990s rather than the modernness of the 2020s. Even then, the aesthetic did help set part of the tone and worked well into the story.
Overall, the film sadly disappoints with its comedic execution, failing to have a consistent tone like other campy Stephen King films like 1982’s Creepshow. Perkins took a swing that clearly did not land, failing to recapture the quirky chills and camp of Longlegs. The Monkey boasts some chilling laughs and killer performances, but its uneven execution holds it back from reaching its true potential.
The Monkey is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
