Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey

By Stephen King’s standards, Captain Petey Shelburn was not such a bad father. He just had terrible instincts when buying collectibles. Don’t call this wind-up primate a toy, because it is no fun to play with. It is the reason why Shelburn was never around for his twin sons. Unfortunately, Hal and Bill Shelburn get stuck with their father’s evil legacy in Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, based on King’s short story, which opens tonight in theaters.

Bill was Hal’s senior by a few minutes—and he never let his “younger” brother forget it. Bill bullied Hal mercilessly, but they were equally fascinated by their absent father. However, the airline captain did not intentional abandon his family, as viewers know from the bloody prologue. Inevitably, they find the drumming monkey tucked away with Capt. Petey’s things and turn the key in his back. Then, people start dying.

The Monkey does not physically stab people like Chucky. Instead, it somehow unleashes Final Destination-style accidents that always result in lethal gore. Unfortunately, you cannot direct the simian assassin towards a specific target. It kills who it wants to kill. The twins figure that one out after the second turn of the key. Tragically for Hal, it kills their mother Lois instead of Bill.

Of course, the Monkey cannot be destroyed, so they chain it up in a box and dump it in a well. Eventually, the twins go their separate ways to live sad, solitary lives. Hal is especially sad, but he still manages to slip up and father a son of his own. For young Petey’s safety, Hal tries to keep his distance. However, during a rare road trip together (which might be his final contact, if Petey’s mom and step-father have their way), Hal receives word that his guardian aunt died in a freak Monkey-like accident. By the time Hal and Petey (the younger) reach unfortunate Aunt Ida’s house, they find the town has been plagued by a series of unlikely but gruesome accidents.

King’s original story predated It, but the parallels that emerge in Perkins’ adaptation make it look like an early study for the mammoth novel. Similarly, children survive an encounter with an uncanny evil force, but must return to complete their unfinished business in adulthood. Both Pennywise the clown and the organ-grinder-like Monkey also represent the corruption of symbols of playfulness. However, the twins’ Cain and Abel dynamic adds a dark element unique to The Monkey.

In fact, Theo James is terrific as the neurotic grown Hal and his wildly unstable brother. He is so good at portraying the brothers’ distinguishing hang-ups, phobias, delusions, and general twitchiness, you almost wonder if he should be evaluated for possible schizophrenia. Tatiana Maslany is almost indescribably odd as Lois, but she finds something like her own peculiar “charm” for lack of a better term. Regardless, it is quite a distinctive horror movie performance. Adam Scott gets limited screentime as Petey the elder, but he makes the most of it.

This is probably the best adaptation of King short story (excluding fuller novellas) since Chapelwaite. It is a crazy, ruckus, over-the-top spectacle that is absolutely drenched in blood, but all that makes it refreshingly entertaining. It probably does not make much sense, but who cares? Perkins (son of Anthony) executes the mayhem with such gleeful energy, viewers will not have the time for pedantic thoughts. Highly recommended for genre fans, The Monkey opens tonight (2/20) in theaters, including the AMC Lincoln Square in New York.