'The Monkey' Film Faces Criticism for Tone and Quality

The new film 'The Monkey,' directed by Osgood Perkins and adapted from a Stephen King short story, features twin brothers Hal and Bill who become entangled with a cursed wind-up monkey that leads to a series of gory deaths in their hometown. Critics are divided on the film's effectiveness, with some noting its lack of genuine horror and humor, describing it as a slasher-tribute that fails to fully embrace its intended genre. While the film offers a comical take on the horror genre, it struggles to balance scares with laughs, resulting in scenes that feel either too tame or not funny enough. Critics appreciate Perkins' attempt to inject humor into King's work, but many feel it ultimately falls flat, leaving viewers with a mix of annoyance and disappointment. The film's tagline, “Everybody dies, and that’s messed up,” encapsulates its fatalistic theme, yet many feel it doesn't deliver on the promise of engaging storytelling. Overall, 'The Monkey' is viewed as an underwhelming entry in the horror-comedy genre.