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“The Monkey” a new horror movie is based on a short story written by Stephen King . This story features both gore and dark comedy and it has brought intrigue and excitement before it's release.
The movie is from the director Osgood Perkins who adapted from Stephen King’s short story about twin brothers who find a disturbing toy monkey in their home and soon begin to witness a string of gruesome deaths. The original short story published in 1980 is still very memorable to all those familiar with the tales of Stephen King.
The titular monkey is not a cherished childhood memory but the start of a horrifying ordeal for all those around the toy. The film includes dark and violent events making it very much not intended for all to experience. This includes specific scenes described to be graphic and not for a younger audience.
The film is both directed and written by Oz Perkins, he stated that he wanted to put in some nods to previous work in the horror community by making it a mix between old horror classics. He has said it will have a "morbidly surreal horror comedy vibe" which will give it a unique appeal.
Perkins claimed “The Monkey” was designed to be a more humorous movie than its prior horror counterpart called “Longlegs”. With many different concepts incorporated it has created hype around viewers anticipating more. Also he pulled inspiration from a wide range of sources from past classics to make it something very different from any movie.
The all star cast includes Theo James, Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood who create the base for how compelling this show is going to be. As Perkins teams with producer James Wan this is going to create some of the highest praise for what is possible in a horror genre with this level of team work.
Theo James is the lead, in a double role, with other members being casted to create specific dimensions to all involved. There is said to be specific praise towards the delivery from Theo’s character and his portrayal of those unique qualities, in specific moments on screen.
The director describes “a lot of mess” including creative ways death comes to characters through very creative methods. They call them a "Rube Goldbergian connectivity". In addition they showcase there are many more aspects not for the faint of heart. With extreme violence it creates interest from all horror and dark humor enthusiasts to see the product on the large screen.
The film has an extreme approach to violence pushing the idea that if you are going for the absurd then subtlety will need to be tossed aside. Viewers should expect more blood and more exaggerated portrayals to enhance that cartoon-like feeling for the gore, showing all forms of what could potentially occur from a toy being cursed. The levels of creative and innovative killings seem to elevate the film with excitement that most horror films can only attempt to emulate.
Critics who were fortunate to view early screeners highlighted both comedy and the film's intensity. Comments include that it was a mix of laugher and high amounts of gore creating more hype and interest for future viewerships from both horror fans and people who don't usually connect to this specific genre.
There were reviews describing the show using “Funniest Stephen King Movie" as a way of defining the type of movie it had produced. This also is one of the elements that differentiates it from other projects from Perkins in which this film is a large change and a welcomed addition to his catalog of films. Viewers seem to believe it's worth seeing and want to share the new version of creativity with others.
The “Monkey” movie will officially release in theatres on February 21, 2025. A red band trailer has been released showcasing many of the gory, violent and comedic elements which create much hype and buzz. The release is much anticipated with those anticipating the debut of what seems to be something different from typical styles in the film world.