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7.4
Neon Acclaimed

The Monkey

The Monkey · Stephen King Adaptations Collection

2025 98 min R
Critic7.4
Comedy Horror Mystery
Hulu Apple TV FindEdition
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey in the attic, a series of outrageous, gruesome deaths tear their family apart, forcing them to confront the cursed toy decades later.
Story 7.3
Acting 7.8
Direction 7.6
Cinematography 7.5
Music 7.4
Pacing 7.5
Originality 8.0
Emotional Impact 7.2
Overall 7.4

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

7.4 /10

Theo James' Dual Performance

Theo James anchors the dark comedy horror with a fantastic dual performance playing opposing twin brothers.

Inventive and Gory Set Pieces

Osgood Perkins successfully balances genuinely shocking kills with sharp, pitch-black humor.

Pros

  • Fantastic dual lead performance by Theo James
  • Perfect blend of pitch-black humor and inventive horror set pieces
  • Strong box office success, grossing over $68 million on a compact budget

Cons

  • Extremely graphic violence and gore may not suit casual viewers
  • Snarky dark comedy tone can be polarizing
Verdict A wickedly clever, darkly humorous, and blood-soaked Stephen King adaptation that showcases Osgood Perkins' unique horror style.

AI Review

A wickedly clever and gory supernatural dark comedy horror film directed by Osgood Perkins and based on Stephen King's short story, starring Theo James.

A wickedly clever, darkly humorous, and blood-soaked Stephen King adaptation that showcases Osgood Perkins' unique horror style.

Essential viewing for fans of Stephen King adaptations, dark horror comedies, and Osgood Perkins' directorial work.

Awards

Saturn Awards

Best Horror Movie · Nominated

Golden Trailer Awards

Best Horror TV Spot · Won

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Development

Developed as an independent adaptation produced by Atomic Monster and Black Bear Pictures.

Principal photography

Filmed in Canada beginning in late 2023.

Post-production

Completed in late 2024 ahead of its acquisition by Neon.

Saturn Awards

Best Horror Movie Nominated

Golden Trailer Awards

Best Horror TV Spot Won

Production

Development

Developed as an independent adaptation produced by Atomic Monster and Black Bear Pictures.

Principal photography

Filmed in Canada beginning in late 2023.

Post-production

Completed in late 2024 ahead of its acquisition by Neon.

Streaming

Hulu Apple TV FindEdition

Cast

Theo James Hal / Bill Shelburn
Tatiana Maslany Lois Shelburn
Christian Convery Young Hal / Young Bill
Colin O'Brien Petey Shelburn
Rohan Campbell Ricky
Sarah Levy Ida Zimmer
Adam Scott Captain Petey Shelburn
Elijah Wood Ted Hammerman

Characters

Hal / Bill Shelburn Theo James
Lois Shelburn Tatiana Maslany
Young Hal / Young Bill Christian Convery
Petey Shelburn Colin O'Brien
Ricky Rohan Campbell
Ida Zimmer Sarah Levy
Captain Petey Shelburn Adam Scott
Ted Hammerman Elijah Wood

Crew

Osgood Perkins Director
Osgood Perkins Screenwriter
Stephen King Short Story Author
James Wan Producer
Dave Caplan Producer
Brian Kavanaugh-Jones Producer
Chris Ferguson Producer
Edo Van Breemen Composer
Nico Aguilar Cinematographer
Greg Ng Editor

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. The Monkey Main Theme — Edo Van Breemen
  2. Cursed Wind-Up Chimes — Edo Van Breemen

Trivia

  • Theo James plays a dual role as identical twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn.
  • The film marks the second collaboration between distributor Neon and director Osgood Perkins following Longlegs (2024).
  • Based on Stephen King's short story originally published in the 1985 collection Skeleton Crew.

Quotes

"When the monkey winds up, someone's number is up."

"Some toys are better left in the attic."

Goofs

  • During the attic flashback sequence, dust particle movement around the toy box shifts between reverse cuts.

Community

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Collections

Part of Stephen King Adaptations Collection

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Universe

Stephen King Adaptation Universe

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Franchise

The Monkey

A standalone feature film adaptation distributed by Neon.

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Recommendations & Alternatives

A similarly themed alternative is The Running Man.

Similar Films

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Scored by genre, cast, director, franchise, and studio overlap

AI Recommendation Insight

A wickedly clever and gory supernatural dark comedy horror film directed by Osgood Perkins and based on Stephen King's short story, starring Theo James. Similar picks: Shared Cast, Similar Comedy, Highly Rated Horror