Though I have read some of Stephen King’s works, the short story The Monkey has always eluded me. During my youth, I recall when The Skeleton Crew collection of King’s short stories was available in bookstores, but for whatever reason, I never bought or read this book. So, when I heard that filmmaker Osgood Perkins had developed and filmed an adaptation of the story, I was excited to see his take on it. From what I understand, Stephen King’s The Monkey is a serious and dramatic horror short story, but Perkins has decided to take it in another entertaining direction.
The story revolves around twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (both portrayed by Theo James), two men who have experienced the horrific powers of the monkey. Their father and husband, Capt. Petey Shelburn (Adam Scott) unexpectedly abandons Hal, Bill, and their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany). An airline pilot, Capt. Shelburn often brought his family various trinkets and oddities he discovered during his travels. One of these is a bizarre toy monkey that plays a drum after being wound up with a unique key.
During their childhood, the Shelburn twins discover the monkey hidden in a closet and decide to see what it does. Though initially unimpressed with the results, they eventually discover that the monkey is an instrument of death that randomly chooses a victim after it strikes its drum. Flash forward to the twins’ adulthood; Hal, thinking he has put the tragedies associated with the monkey behind him, discovers that the monkey still exists and has entered his life again. He realizes that he must find a way, if possible, to end the violent wrath of the monkey before someone close to him falls victim to its horrors.
As I finished writing this synopsis, I realized that I made this movie sound more serious than it is. While the base story is, Perkins, with his twisted sense of humor, has found a way to play out this story in hilariously absurd ways. When one thinks about the premise, it is rather absurd and funny. Sometimes, bizarre deaths occur in real life, and though tragic, there are ways to find some ironic humor in these events.
That is where Perkins heightens the absurdity, and his movie delivers some of the more ridiculous kills and deaths I have ever witnessed in cinema. When it comes to the tone, think Stephen King meets Final Destination meets Heathers. With a tagline, “Everybody Dies,” the film brings a nihilistic and Generation X sensibility to the experience. As someone who is from that generation and grew up experiencing those cinematic inspirations, I had an absolute blast.
Though the cast members play their characters seriously and are straight-faced, this adaptation is a comedy. If extreme violence is not a source of humor for you, then I cannot recommend this film. But, other members of Generation X will adore and appreciate the devilish comedy that Perkins delivers. The entire affair is ludicrous but is done so in ways that made me laugh quite heartily.
Tonally, the movie attempts to balance the trauma experienced by the main characters and humor. It isn’t perfect, but it worked well enough for me. Though this film didn’t completely blow me away, I had a great time. If hilarious kills are your jam, I highly recommend The Monkey. It isn’t like the usual types of Stephen King adaptations, but that is what made this movie so refreshing