If you haven’t noticed from our recent articles and a strong online advertising push, “The Monkey” is coming to theaters this weekend. Osgood Perkins‘ follow up feature to “Longlegs” is a very different type of film that has been playing up the comedic angle pretty heavily. Based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King, the renowned horror author has already given it his seal of approval. He regarded the film as “batshit insane,” and in the most positive sense of the phrase.
If the latest ad for the film is any indication, Perkins is learning into the insanity with all good fun.
The ad, set in an autopsy lab, features Perkins telling us to not worry about the still groaning body on the operating table before moving into discussing “The Monkey.” The director is very plain spoken and wry when it comes to his delivery, playing it completely straight but with tongue still planted firmly in cheek. He starts listing a bunch of ways in which the people surrounding the main character die. Everything from infestations to immolations to a defenestration. “In other words, there’s a little something for everyone.” As he says.
The cause of all these deaths? A toy monkey, “with his little red vest and whimsical smile,” as Perkins puts it. He begins to take out a brass key that is used to wind the monkey being kept just out of sight in a container. Just when you think he’s going to wind the toy up to see what happens, he stops and tells us we should see for ourselves by watching the film in theaters. After all, as Mr. Perkins puts it, he promises it’s going to be, “more fun than a barrel of… you know the rest.”
We do know the rest. The trailers for the film thus far have promised a film that doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously and is going to be doubling down on gore and death. The short story was far tamer in this regard. Yeah, a lot of people died, but it was in quiet, subtler ways. Well, aside from what happens near the tail end of things where… well, you can read the short story if you want to and see just how powerful that monkey is.
“The Monkey” hits theaters February 21st, 2025.
