The only absolute in life is death. “The Monkey,” written and directed by Osgood Perkins – director of “Long Legs” – and adapted from the short story of the same name by Stephen King, brings an absurdist element to a gore-heavy, terror-inducing ride through humans’ strange relationship with death.
When an antique wind-up, drummer monkey with a velvet-red coat is found by two twins, a family curse returns to follow them. As the twins learn that with the turn of a key the monkey’s beat of the drum leads to someone’s death, they grow fearful. After losing loved ones, they seek to dispose of the monkey in a well, only for the monkey to return 25 years later.
Starring Theo James and Colin O’Brien, the film keeps to a tight script, not involving too many characters other than the quarrelsome twins, played by James, and the son, played by O’Brien.
His portrayal of Hal was as good as it could be considering the unbelievability that James would be a Hal. However, his portrayal of Bill, a sadistic, vengeful recluse, was disappointing. With a mullet and a cartoonish evil role, it didn’t bring comedy or depth, falling completely flat at any moment when Bill was on the screen.
The monkey was terrifying; its soul-penetrating eyes rested on the audience and its wide smile showed bare teeth as its hand twirled a drumstick. Nothing the twins did could rid themselves of the teleporting monkey, as it followed them wherever they went.
When Perkins was young, he lost both of his parents. His father had an AIDS-related illness and his mother died in one of the planes during the Sept. 11 attack, reported Variety. Perkins shared that this film was from an “autobiographical place.”
Perkins may have had too much fun with unusual deaths. From hornets eating someone alive from the inside to a woman exploding into a downpour of blood after leaping into an electrically-charged pool, the film embraced the humor in every death.
“The Monkey” has some genuinely funny moments, turning the mirror on the way in which society approaches death. But often the film tries to add comedy where it does not belong. After watching a horrific scene or when the film is exploring stark themes of death, Perkins forces comedy which can make for a chaotic viewing experience.
The film isn’t shy about hammering its meaning. Death is inevitable. Twenty five years after the twins disposed of the monkey, we learn that Hal has neglected his wife and kid, only seeing his kid once a year. Hal is scared that if he remains close to anyone important in his life the monkey will choose them to be the next victim to the beat of the drum, while Bill lets himself be consumed by death, taking it in and turning into a reclusive sadist.
The third act was a mess; it was rushed and supplied under-baked emotional resolution between the twins. The swelling dramatic music and awkward dialogue made for an underwhelming resolution. This is where Perkin’s on-the-nose approach fell flat. There was no deeper cut, no substance that we could feel.
The film portrays the impossibility to run from death. It’s dangerous to be consumed by it, therefore we must accept and embrace it, hold it close and understand that its inevitability should never stop us from living the life we have on earth.
Overall I could strongly feel Perkin’s voice throughout the film, making light of the trauma he suffered through in his childhood and how he has come to embrace the unbearable fact of life. So when the silent drumming of the wind-up monkey rings in your ears, just know that there is nothing you can do to stop it – you might as well find the humor in the horror.
“The Monkey” is currently showing at Cinemark.
