Writer-director Osgood Perkins, who brought us last year’s sinisterLonglegs, has adapted Stephen King’sThe Monkey, the author’s 1980 short story, into a full-fledged horror film. Naturally, audiences should expect the film to have its fair share of scares throughout the movie considering its premise involving a vintage toy monkey killing people at random once the key in its back is turned.The Monkey’s castis full of well-known actors like Theo James (in a double role as twins Hal and Bill) andOrphan Blackactress Tatiana Maslanyas Hal and Bill’s mother, Lois.
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FromITtoThe Boogeyman, King’s books, short stories, and novellas have been perfect narratives for adaptations. These adaptations often expand on the author’s stories, in particular, offering a bigger picture look at its premise. But while horror adaptations likeCarrieandThe Shiningare especially terrifying and unsettling,The Monkeyis more of a horror comedy than anything. That’s not to say it doesn’t play into certain horror tropes — it does — but it also doesn’t take itself too seriously.
And yet,The Monkeyisn’t rated PG-13, but R, leaning into its horror and violence characteristics to give audiences an experience they won’t forget so quickly. This is especially true when it comes to the film’s horror kills, of which there are many and each is unique and sure to elicit a reaction.
Why The Monkey Is Rated R
The Monkeyisrated R for “strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references.”As the MPA’s reasons state, Perkins’ horror movie has a lot of blood and violence littered throughout. Bill says a lot of mean things to his brother and most of what comes out of his mouth isn’t clean. That includes a plethora of cursing, though this is certainly not as prevalent as the gore and violent content of the film, which takes up the majority of its runtime.
Where To Watch The Monkey: Showtimes & Streaming Status
The Monkey is finally here, and here are the showtimes for its theatrical release as well as when you can expect it to release on streaming.
Primarily, however,The Monkey’s R-rating stems from the excessive carnage.This is present from the film’s first scene to its very last one, completely justifying its rating. The toy monkey goes after plenty of characters and no one is really safe from death after that key is turned. Crucially, the toy monkey doesn’t seem interested in giving anyone in the movie a peaceful death. Perkins goes the route of giving us completely unhinged deaths, which heavily plays into the rating’s description.
How Scary & Violent The Monkey Is Compared To Other Stephen King Movies
When comparingThe Monkeyto otherStephen King movies, Perkins’ film is quite tame when it comes to the scary aspects.The Monkeyisn’t very terrifying at all. There are nearly no jump scares and very few creepy moments. This is perhaps because it’s a horror comedy, with the latter balancing and even removing the story’s more horrific elements. For every gruesome moment, there’s a lighter one just waiting to ease our rattled nerves.Once you settle into the gorier aspects of the film, the anticipation for what comes next is lessenedbecause the frightful characteristics are watered down.
The Monkeyleans more on its violence to tell its story, though the disconcertment comes from not knowing who might die next or how it will happen.
The Monkeyis noITor evenGerald’s Game, where there’s plenty of suspense and heightened awareness of every move.The Monkeyhas little to no horror tension, though it is more violent than recent offerings likeThe Boogeyman,Salem’s Lot, and 2020’sChildren of the Corn. I can’t stress enough how violent and goryThe Monkeyis. Sliced heads and exploding bodies are some of the horrific visuals awaiting audiences, as well as close-ups of bloodied inner body parts and killings involving domestic items. In that regard,The Monkeyleaves no stone unturned.
How Scary & Violent The Monkey Is Compared To Osgood Perkins' Longlegs
Despite both movies being directed by Osgood Perkins,The MonkeyandLonglegsare two very different films with their own unique themes. I’m not sure if they could be properly compared to one another because their premises and story executions are so wildly disparate, butThe Monkeyis less scary but more violent overall.Longlegs’ killer is a serial killer whileThe Monkey’s is, well, a vintage toy monkey.
UnlikeThe Monkey, Perkins didn’t adaptLonglegsfrom a short story or book.
The former is scary in a deeply unsettling and eerie way while the latter is more gruesome, over-the-top, and even excessive in its violence.Longlegsis certainly the creepier of the two, especially since we get to know Cage’s title characterand his motivations.The Monkeyleans more on its violence to tell its story, though the disconcertment comes from not knowing who might die next or how it will happen.
The Monkeyhas a lot of fun with its horror kills whileLonglegs’ violence is scarier precisely because it’s so close to the surface of realism.The Monkeyengages with the entertainment aspect of its premise whileLonglegsthrows us off and disturbs us with its killer’s actions. A killer toy monkey can’t necessarily compare to a human killer, but Perkins has a different approach to each of the film’s violence, which also makes each viewing experience distinct.
The Monkey
The Monkey is a horror film focused on twin brothers who encounter a mysterious wind-up monkey responsible for a series of tragic events within their family. Twenty-five years later, the estranged brothers are compelled to face the cursed toy once again as it resumes its deadly rampage.
