Gory chaos, but too stop-start.
Based on a Stephen King short story, The Monkey follows twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn, played by Theo James and Christian Convery. As kids, they stumble upon a cursed toy monkey that kills anyone nearby when it claps its cymbals. Fast-forward to years later, and the deaths start up again, forcing the brothers to confront their past and destroy the monkey. While the premise holds potential, the film’s uneven pacing and lack of tension derail what could’ve been a solid horror flick.
Theo James plays the dual role of Hal and Bill, and he brings a solid mix of sincerity and camp to the characters. But Elijah Wood steals the spotlight as Ted Hammerman—his quirky charm adds a much-needed fun dynamic to the chaos. And of course, there’s Sarah Levy—fans of Schitt’s Creek will instantly recognise her as Twyla. I literally squealed when I saw her on screen!
If you’re a Schitt’s Creek fan, you’ll spot Twyla (Sarah Levy) in The Monkey – unexpected but a nice surprise!
The visual effects, particularly the gore, are exaggerated and delightfully absurd. If you’re here for blood-soaked mayhem, The Monkey has plenty of it. However, the film’s atmosphere doesn’t quite nail the suspense or creepy vibes it sets out to achieve. Instead of sustained tension, the movie alternates between stretches of nothing happening and sudden bursts of over-the-top deaths, with next to no build-up. If you enjoy campy gore over genuine scares, it might still hit the mark for you.
The biggest issue with The Monkey isn’t its runtime—it’s the inconsistent pacing. The movie has long lulls, followed by bursts of action that are often so abrupt they feel jarring. This stop-start rhythm saps the tension, leaving you more bewildered than scared. Instead of building a growing sense of fear, the film throws random deaths at you without any real sense of suspense leading up to them.
✅ Some gloriously over-the-top kill scenes.
✅ A cast that embraces the camp.
✅ Knows it’s ridiculous and leans into it.
❌ Way too much downtime between kills.
❌ Lack of consistent tension.
❌ Never quite finds the right rhythm.
The Monkey delivers exactly what it promises: blood-soaked fun and campy horror. If you’re in the mood for some mindless entertainment with over-the-top deaths and ridiculous moments, it’s worth a look. But, if you’re after a film with sustained tension and steady pacing, you might want to pass.
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