The Monkey

Plot summary

The film's narrative unfolds in two distinct time periods, beginning in 1999. Captain Petey Shelburn attempts to return a strange wind-up toy monkey to an antiques shop, but the toy plays its drum, setting off a fatal chain reaction that kills the shop owner. Petey subsequently disappears, leaving his wife Lois to raise their twin sons, Hal and Bill. The young twins later discover the monkey among their father's belongings and wind it up, an action that leads to the accidental decapitation of their babysitter. One day, the bullied Hal winds the key hoping the monkey will kill his brother Bill, but instead their mother Lois suffers a fatal aneurysm. The traumatized boys dispose of the monkey by throwing it down a well after it causes another death in their new home. Twenty-five years later, the estranged adult brothers are forced to reunite when a series of bizarre fatal accidents suggest the monkey has returned. Hal, now a paranoid man estranged from his own son Petey, learns that his brother Bill has been using the monkey in a vengeful campaign, knowing that the person who turns the key is spared from the random deaths it causes. A confrontation escalates when a local thrasher named Ricky becomes obsessed with the toy, leading to a chaotic finale where the monkey drums uncontrollably, devastating the entire town. In the aftermath, Hal and his son Petey accept their cursed legacy as the monkey's new guardians, vowing to never wind the key again as they drive away from the destruction.

Cast and characters

The film features a ensemble cast led by Theo James in the dual role of the adult twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn. Christian Convery portrays the young versions of both Hal and Bill in the 1999 sequences. Tatiana Maslany plays Lois Shelburn, the twins' mother who meets a tragic end. Colin O'Brien appears as Petey Shelburn, Hal's teenage son who becomes entangled in the supernatural conflict. Rohan Campbell plays Ricky, a local troublemaker obsessed with acquiring the monkey. Sarah Levy takes on the role of Ida Zimmer, the twins' aunt, while director Osgood Perkins makes a cameo appearance as her husband, Chip Zimmer. Adam Scott appears briefly as the twins' absent father, Captain Petey Shelburn. Elijah Wood co-stars as Ted Hammerman, the new husband of Hal's ex-wife. Supporting roles include Tess Degenstein as real estate agent Barbara, Danica Dreyer as babysitter Annie Wilkes, Laura Mennell as Hal's ex-wife, and Janet Kidder as Ricky's mother.

The principal cast of The Monkey includes Theo James in a dual role as the adult twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn. Tatiana Maslany plays Lois Shelburn, the twins' mother, while Christian Convery portrays the young versions of Hal and Bill. Other key cast members are Colin O'Brien as Petey Shelburn, Hal's son, and Adam Scott as Captain Petey Shelburn, the twins' absent father. The film also features Sarah Levy as Aunt Ida, Rohan Campbell as Ricky, and Elijah Wood as Ted Hammerman.

• Theo James as identical twins Hal and Bill Shelburn.
• Christian Convery as young Hal and Bill Shelburn.
• Tatiana Maslany as Lois Shelburn, the twins' mother.
• Colin O'Brien as Petey Shelburn, Hal's son.
• Rohan Campbell as Ricky, a local thrasher.
• Sarah Levy as Ida Zimmer, Hal and Bill's aunt.
• Adam Scott as Captain Petey Shelburn, Hal's father.
• Elijah Wood as Ted Hammerman.

Production and development

The journey to bring Stephen King's short story to the screen was a long one. Director Frank Darabont initially held the film rights and planned an adaptation after completing The Mist in 2007, but the project never moved forward. The film entered active development in 2023 when financier Black Bear Pictures announced it was for sale at the Cannes Film Market. Osgood Perkins was hired to write and direct, with James Wan's production company Atomic Monster attached to produce. Theo James was cast in the lead role of the twins in late 2023, with Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, and the younger cast members joining in March 2024. Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, from February 5 to March 22, 2024, following delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood labour disputes. A key creative change from the source material was the redesign of the titular toy. King's original story features a cymbal-banging monkey, but Perkins changed it to a drum-playing version. The director stated this was partly due to a producer's belief that Disney owned the rights to the cymbal-banging toy design from its appearance in Toy Story 3, but Perkins also felt the drum enhanced the horror and provided a more ominous sound. Perkins intentionally infused the script with comedic elements, arguing that a film about a killer toy should not take itself too seriously. He described his approach as taking significant liberties with the source material to explore themes of absurd, random death through a lens of dark humour, informed by his own experiences with personal tragedy.

Director Frank Darabont initially held the film rights to Stephen King's short story but the project never materialized. In 2023, Black Bear Pictures announced the film was in development with Osgood Perkins hired to write and direct. Theo James was cast in the lead role in 2023, with other cast members like Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood joining in March 2024. Principal photography occurred in Vancouver from February 5 to March 22, 2024, after delays from the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.

• 2007: Frank Darabont holds rights and plans an adaptation after The Mist.
• 2023: Project announced for sale at the Cannes Film Market by Black Bear Pictures.
• 2023: Osgood Perkins hired to write and direct. James Wan's Atomic Monster to produce.
• Late 2023: Theo James cast in the lead dual role.
• March 2024: Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy join cast.
• February 5 to March 22, 2024: Principal photography occurs in Vancouver.
• May 2024: Neon wins bidding war for U.S. distribution rights.

Marketing and release

Neon acquired the domestic distribution rights for The Monkey in May 2024 after a competitive bidding war. The studio set a theatrical release date for February 21, 2025. The marketing campaign generated significant attention, particularly with the release of the official trailer on January 16, 2025. The trailer amassed over 43 million views online within 24 hours and surpassed 100 million views within 72 hours, which Neon claimed made it the most-watched independent horror film trailer ever. The campaign faced controversy when four major television networks refused to air the trailer, citing its excessive violence. Neon publicly released redacted emails of these rejections. As part of a unique promotional strategy, Neon opened an online application for churches to request permission to screen the film alongside traditional theatres. The studio also partnered with the horror website Bloody Disgusting for a giveaway of an exclusive resin sculpture of the monkey toy. Deadline Hollywood reported the total marketing cost was approximately $10 million. Prior to its wide release, the film had an early screening in January 2025 at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre as part of Beyond Fest. Following its theatrical run, The Monkey became available for streaming on Hulu on August 7, 2025, as part of Neon's output deal with the platform.

Box office performance

The Monkey proved to be a significant box office success. Produced on a modest budget estimated between $10 and $11 million, the film grossed a worldwide total of $68.9 million. In the United States and Canada, it earned $39.7 million, with an additional $29.1 million coming from other international territories. The film opened on February 21, 2025, across 3,200 theatres, alongside The Unbreakable Boy. It earned $5.9 million on its first day, including $1.9 million from preview screenings, and debuted to a weekend total of $14 million. This placed it second at the domestic box office behind the holdover film Captain America: Brave New World. Demographic data showed that 58% of the opening weekend audience was male, with 35% aged between 25 and 35 years old. Premium large format screens contributed 12% of the opening gross. The film held well in subsequent weeks, dropping 54% in its second weekend to earn $6.3 million and falling a further 39% in its third weekend with $3.9 million. It remained in theatres for several weeks before dropping out of the top ten in its sixth weekend.

The Monkey grossed a worldwide total of $68.9 million against a production budget of $10 to $11 million. Domestically, it earned $39.7 million in the United States and Canada, while international territories contributed $29.1 million. The film debuted to $14 million in its opening weekend in North America, finishing second at the box office. Its marketing campaign was reported to have cost around $10 million.

• Production Budget: $10-11 million.
• Worldwide Gross: $68.9 million.
• Domestic Gross (U.S./Canada): $39.7 million.
• International Gross: $29.1 million.
• Opening Day (including previews): $5.9 million.

Critical reception

Critical response to The Monkey was generally favourable, with particular praise for its distinctive tone and visual style. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 294 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10. The site's consensus highlighted the film as cruelly clever with some unforgettably gory set pieces and noted it revealed Perkins's surprising albeit sick sense of humor. Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 48 reviews, indicating generally favorable reception. Audience scores were more mixed. CinemaScore reported an average grade of C+ from polling, while PostTrak respondents gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars, with 49% saying they would definitely recommend it. Several critics commended the film's formal execution. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com awarded it three out of four stars, praising Perkins's direction and the striking imagery crafted by cinematographer Nico Aguilar. Peter Travers of ABC News called King and Perkins a dream team of fright masters, though he felt the film lost some steam in its final act. David Sims of The Atlantic noted that Perkins's skill in grounding childhood trauma prevented the film's wild tone from becoming incoherent. Not all reviews were positive. Siddhant Adlakha of Inverse described the film as tonally haphazard and criticized its lack of dramatic coherence, arguing its irony undermined any deeper themes. Christina Newland of The i Paper gave it two out of five stars, calling it surprisingly boring and lacking in good ideas. Author Stephen King himself offered a succinct endorsement, describing the film as batshit insane.

Key themes and style

Osgood Perkins's adaptation distinguishes itself through its deliberate fusion of horror and dark comedy. Perkins stated he intentionally moved away from a more serious draft of the script, believing the inherently absurd premise of a killer toy demanded a humorous approach. The comedy in the film is not subtle. It is often delivered through extreme gore and the randomness of the deaths, which Perkins uses to joke about the absurdity and pointlessness of mortality. This thematic focus on random, unfair death is informed by the director's personal history with tragic loss. The film explores familial trauma, specifically the lasting damage of childhood events and the complex, often destructive relationship between the twin brothers. The cursed monkey serves as a physical manifestation of this inherited trauma and unresolved grief. Stylistically, the film is noted for its confident formal control, with particular attention paid to the ominous sound design of the monkey's drumming and meticulously crafted, violent set pieces. The production design emphasizes a contrast between mundane, everyday settings and the sudden intrusion of surreal, horrific violence, a technique that amplifies the film's unsettling tone.

The Monkey is a supernatural comedy horror film that explores themes of childhood trauma and the random, absurd nature of death. Director Osgood Perkins intentionally incorporated comedic elements and extreme gore to highlight the pointlessness of the deaths caused by the cursed toy. A key stylistic change from the source material was replacing the monkey's cymbals with a drum, which Perkins felt enhanced the horror. The film's tone balances psychological dread with macabre and intentionally unsubtle humor.

• Genre Fusion: A deliberate blend of supernatural horror and dark comedy.
• Central Motif: The cursed drum-playing monkey as an agent of random, absurd death.
• Thematic Focus: Exploration of inherited familial trauma and brotherly conflict.
• Visual Style: Striking, formally controlled imagery by cinematographer Nico Aguilar.
• Key Change from Source: Toy monkey altered from cymbal-banging to drum-playing.
• Directorial Influence: Perkins's personal experience with tragedy informs the theme of random mortality.
• Tone: Uses extreme gore and absurdity to create morbid humour about death.

Questions about The Monkey

Who stars in The Monkey?

The film stars Theo James in the dual lead role of adult twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn. The supporting cast includes Tatiana Maslany as their mother Lois, Christian Convery as the young twins, and Colin O'Brien as Hal's son Petey. Other key cast members are Elijah Wood as Ted Hammerman, Rohan Campbell as Ricky, Sarah Levy as Aunt Ida, and Adam Scott in a brief role as the twins' father. Director Osgood Perkins also makes a cameo appearance as Uncle Chip.

Where was The Monkey filmed?

Principal photography for The Monkey took place entirely in Vancouver, British Columbia. Filming occurred from February 5 to March 22, 2024. The production utilized the Canadian city and its surrounding areas to stand in for the film's various settings, including the Maine towns where much of the story takes place. The Vancouver shoot followed delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood labour disputes, which affected the production schedule.

What is the tone of The Monkey?

The film is best described as a supernatural comedy horror. Director Osgood Perkins intentionally infused the script with darkly comedic elements, believing a serious tone was ill-suited for a story about a killer toy. The humour is often broad and paired with extreme gore, using the randomness and absurdity of the deaths to create a morbidly funny commentary on fate and mortality. This blend of horror and comedy distinguishes it from more straightforward, serious horror films about possessed objects.

Where can I stream The Monkey in Canada?

Following its theatrical release, The Monkey became available for digital purchase and rental on various platforms. For subscription streaming, the film was added to Hulu in the United States on August 7, 2025, as part of Neon's output deal. In Canada, availability would typically follow through licensing deals with local streaming services or be accessible via digital storefronts. Viewers should check Canadian platforms like Crave, which often partners with Neon, or services like Apple TV and Google Play for rental options.

Is The Monkey based on a Stephen King story?

Yes, The Monkey is directly based on Stephen King's 1980 short story. The film adaptation was written and directed by Osgood Perkins. While it retains the core concept of a cursed toy monkey that causes random deaths, Perkins took creative liberties with the source material. He changed the toy from a cymbal banging monkey to a drum playing one, a decision partly influenced by potential copyright concerns. Perkins also expanded the story to focus on the long term trauma of the twin brothers and intentionally infused the film with comedic elements to contrast with more serious horror films about possessed toys.

How much money did The Monkey make?

The Monkey grossed a worldwide total of $68.9 million against a production budget of $10 to $11 million. This box office performance is considered a significant financial success. Domestically, in the United States and Canada, the film earned $39.7 million, while international territories contributed $29.1 million. It debuted to $14 million in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office. The film demonstrated strong staying power for a horror entry, with a 54 percent drop in its second weekend and a 39 percent drop in its third, leading to a profitable theatrical run.

Sources and further reading

• The Monkey (Wikipedia)
• The Monkey (rottentomatoes.com)
• The Monkey Review, 'A fun night at the movies' - Empire (empireonline.com)
• The Monkey (tv.apple.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-29.