Stephen King’s The Monkey: Butchered in Cinematic Form  

By Arrianah Jones 

Without a story arc, character development or a clear direction, The Monkey is arguably one of the worst films of Feb 2025. It suffers from unnecessary side plots, a weak script, and an immense lack of humor–despite being a horror comedy. The film fails to capitalize on its potential, ultimately feeling like a disjointed mess that neither thrills, nor amuses, leaving much to be desired in terms of both narrative and character engagement.

The film, which is loosely based on Stephen King’s short story The Monkey. Is directed by Osgood Perkins, follows twins, Hal and Bill—played by actors Christian Convery and Theo James. After finding a wind-up monkey in their absent father’s belongings, a series of horrific “accidents” occur that tear their family apart, leading the boys to believe the toy is cursed.

Desperate to get rid of it, they throw the monkey down a well and go their separate ways. Twenty-five years later, having been estranged since childhood, the monkey reappears and begins a new killing spree, which forces the twins to confront one another, and the toy.

First and foremost, the movie lacked the basic story structure of rising action, climax and falling action. There was never a plan on how to destroy the monkey, seal away its magic, or exorcise whatever demon might be possessing it.

Instead, after all the spilled blood, Hal simply concludes that the monkey can’t be destroyed stating, “We accept that it’s ours and hold on tight.” The film offers an hour and forty minutes of relentless gore with no meaningful progression, ultimately making the movie repetitive and boring.

In addition to an incoherent main plot, the film also suffered from unnecessary side plots that only added to its confusion. One such subplot centers on a hostage situation involving Hal and his son Petey—played by Colin O’ Brien—who he only sees once a year because he is terrified their association will get them both killed.

Bill hires a man named Ricky—played by Rohan Campbell—to track down the wind-up monkey and bring it to him.

Shortly after returning it, Ricky asks for the toy back, claiming it reminds him of his father. When his request is denied, he locates Hal and Petey at a motel where they are staying, and holds them at gunpoint during a drive to Bill’s residence.

In the end, Ricky dies a gruesome death, with a swarm of wasps flying into his mouth after he accidently shoots a hole through the windshield. The entire situation was totally unnecessary and added nothing to the plot. Distractions like these take away from any potential focus the primary conflict had, further undermining the film’s narrative.

The movie’s disjointed nature is also reflected in its lack of character development. Early on, it is clear that Hal and Bill despise each other, even stating they would not care if the other died. The origin of their hatred remains unclear, leaving the conflict undeveloped and unconvincing.

At the end of the film, the twins exchange shallow apologies after having a conversation about their mother’s death, but their reconciliation is so painfully rushed that it fails to create any emotional impact, leaving the audience indifferent when Bill ultimately dies. With little build up or genuine connection, there is hardly any reason to care about his death—Hal doesn’t even seem phased by it.

Lastly, the film fails to deliver any meaningful comedic relief, which leaves its horror-comedy premise completely flat. In one scene where Hal is leaving his deceased aunt’s home, he encounters a group of cheerleaders outside who are celebrating about the recent tragedy. This bizarre moment, meant to provide levity, falls short and adds nothing to the overall tone of the film. If anything—it leaves viewers confused. 

The film ends with the cheerleaders riding a school bus, their heads out of the window, cheering at the fourth wall. A semi-truck drives by instantly killing all of them, and then the credits roll. This failed execution of the comedic-relief tactic highlights the film’s inability to effectively balance humor with its horror elements.

In the end The Monkey fails to live up to its horror-comedy classification, offering a disjointed narrative, weak character development, and an absence of meaningful humor. Instead of thrilling and amusing the audience, it leaves them uninterested in the characters, or the overall outcome.