As crazy as it sounds, I completely misunderstood the assignment when it came to The Monkey. Somehow, I avoided all the trailers, CinemaBlend’s countless articles about the new Stephen King adaptation, and pretty much everything that’s been said about it since the film was released on the 2025 movie schedule a few months ago. I thought it was going to be just straight-up horror, but instead, Osgood Perkins’ take on the 1980 short story was one of the funniest things I’ve seen all year.
When I checked out The Monkey with a Hulu subscription a few weeks ago, the surprise that this was an over-the-top and gory horror-comedy actually made the great King adaptation even better. It was honestly one of the biggest surprises of the year, and I have to talk about it.
I Went In Completely Blind, So I Wasn't Expecting This Kind Of Humor
Going into The Monkey with no information outside of it being a horror flick about two twin brothers gifted a mysterious toy with awesome and terrifying powers, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even expect it to be funny. Well, the true nature of the film became oh so apparent a few minutes into it when Captain Petey Shellburn (Adam Scott) tried to get rid of his boys’ wind-up monkey but instead started a chain reaction like something out of a Final Destination movie. As soon as that harpoon gun ripped out the poor pawn shop owner’s guts, I said to myself, “Well, I wasn’t expecting that to be so damn funny.”
This Horror-Comedy Had Me Laughing As Much As It Had Me Covering My Eyes
Don’t get me wrong, The Monkey is an intense, graphic, and truly bonkers horror film with some of the most disgusting examples of gore and violence I’ve seen in a very long time. From horses turning people into a bagof ground beef to an electric swim to a night at a hibachi restaurant gone very wrong, Perkins didn’t hold back… at all.
While these death sequences were shockingly violent and resulted in me covering my eyes more times than during an episode of The Pitt, I spent even more time laughing my head off (just not enough to land on a hibachi grill). You know that classic gif of that kid reacting to a WWE show? Well, I was him throughout this whole movie.
The Wild Tone Of The Monkey Made The Movie Such An Unforgettable Experience
I’ve watched a lot of great horror movies in 2025 (as well as a fair share of great King adaptations), but The Monkey is something I won’t soon forget. The way Perkins, Theo James in a tremendous dual performance, and the rest of the cast were able to pull off a darkly funny tone that amplifies the horror is nothing short of astounding. Sure, the creative and stomach-churning gore and kills add to this, but it’s the biting tongue of the movie that makes it so great.
With The Monkey being one hell of a good time, I’m over here wondering what other Stephen King comedies should get the cinematic treatment. If they’re anywhere near as fun as this gem, then it should happen!
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