Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is a sick joke

“Like life,” is the warning that arrives with The Monkey’s titular stuffed animal, a message that sets the tone for the chaos and mayhem that follows. The grinning wind-up toy, with its demon drum sticks and penchant for random violence, becomes a curse that haunts twins Hal and Bill as they grow into adulthood. Death follows Hal like a vengeful ghost, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

In Stephen King’s original short story, the monkey serves as a metaphor for the randomness and unpredictability of evil. It is a clockwork toy, winding up and unleashing its destructive power without discrimination. But in director Osgood Perkins’ adaptation, The Monkey becomes more of a personification of its demon than an exploration of it. The collaboration between King and Perkins, two creatives with contrasting styles, results in a film that struggles to find its footing.

Perkins attempts to inject levity into the dark narrative, but the humor falls flat, leaving the story tonally confused. The mix of gore and groan-worthy moments detracts from any meaningful message that King’s original story may have conveyed. The film’s attempts at modernization, with nods to social media and true crime, feel forced and out of place in the 1999 setting.

As the plot shifts from Hal’s childhood to his adult life, the film loses focus and veers into absurdity. The lack of character growth and depth leaves The Monkey feeling like a hollow shell of a horror film, relying on spectacle rather than substance. The repetitive cycle of death and destruction becomes tiresome, lacking the emotional impact or thematic depth that could have elevated the story.

While the performances by Theo James and Christian Convery are commendable, they are not enough to save The Monkey from its shortcomings. The film may appeal to fans of gory horror and dark comedy, but ultimately falls short of delivering a meaningful or engaging narrative. Like a rusty clown car running in a closed garage, The Monkey is a missed opportunity to explore the complexities of evil and misfortune in a more nuanced and thought-provoking way.