'The Monkey' Review: There’s More Than a Little Monkey Business Going On Here
DIRECTOR Osgood perkins’ latest is certainly not on the level of his ‘longlegs’, as the film struggles with tonal coherency.
Fresh off the the success of last year’s summer hit, Longlegs, it would only make sense for NEON to continue being in the Osgood Perkins business. Perkins has carved out a space for himself as one of the new prominent filmmakers in the horror genre, now furthering his work in the genre with ‘The Monkey’, a feature film adaptation of the Steven King story of the same name. However, do not expect the same level of tension as Longlegs here, as The Monkey operates more as a comedy-thriller. The film follows the story of twin brothers, Hal and Bill, who have their lives haunted, and set down an irreparable path of destruction after inheriting a seemingly cursed toy monkey from their late father.
The film spends its opening third within a prologue of sorts, following the twins as young boys living with their single mother, and the hardships they face. It is in this part of the movie where the Stephen King influence is especially prominent, with an emphasis on how the absurd of the narrative infiltrates the everyday. Perkins shows most promise in tonal management within the childhood part of the film, where the protagonists’ childhood view of things makes for an easier in-between the absurd, horrific tone of the random, spontaneous violence, and the very overt humour that Perkins opts to infuse as an antidote to lethargy. The supporting performance from Tatiana Maslany as the mother of the twins is most exemplary of this, with Maslany conveying both stereotypical 80’s maternal figure and brilliant comedic instincts to a tee.
The film goes on, and eventually has to time-jump twenty-five years into the future, where the distant twins living life as grown adults, portrayed by Theo James. James spends most of his time playing Hal, who is living a rather lonesome life, until he is forced to rekindle his relationship to his estranged teenage son, a process which is upended when a string of new random killings caused by the titular monkey get in the way. Estrangement stands out as a main theme in King’s short story, and this is also the case for Perkins’ film adaptation. Within the framework of The Monkey lies potential to explore thematic duality between what the cursed monkey represents to the brothers and their estranged relationship with their father, and the inter-generational baggage and emotional distance between Hal and his son. However, the film never commits enough to any of the major elements at play.
Perkins either spends too long or too little time with the emotional elements of the story, which on paper, should be fine, as the film can be tongue-in-cheek about its inherent triteness sometimes. The comedy elements are very hit-or-miss, with some show-stopping displays of random violence that are bound to illicit some laughs, playing like morbid slapstick comedy. This review has focused a lot on the tone of the film, which is the catalyst of its many shortcomings. The film is as consistent as the sparse appearances of the titular monkey. Despite what the title and marketing may suggest, this is ultimately not a film about The Monkey. The curse that the monkey toy is a harbinger of is a fun plot element, which rarely ties back to the monkey in any visually or thematically significant ways here. The film by no means should feel obliged to do so, but with the finished product, the feeling becomes apparent that the film could have done with some more concrete monkey business.
Star Theo James (left) with director Osgood Perkins (right)
As a whole, the film is not fully synchronous in feeling intentionally off-beat, not to a meaningfully successful note, at least. It is ultimately at its best when being fully tongue-in-cheek and cartoonish, with many great glimpses of a more campy, and subsequently more impactful film. However, Perkins proves again to be a premier craftsman in the studio horror space, and the film is not without its merits. The cast is very obviously having a great time with the silliness inherent in the material, and if anything, The Monkey should serve as an invitation for Theo James to flex his comedic muscles more often. Despite this review’s general critical tone of The Monkey, it is an entertaining film despite the mess. There is fun to be had, and if anything, will surely prove to be a worthwhile crowd experience.