It’s deja vu all over again for Osgood Perkins and Neon. They’re using the same template as with ’ “Longlegs.” Cryptic marketing aside, the review embargo has lifted, three weeks before the film is released, but the trades are again not chiming in. It’s only been screened for a select few outlets.
Regardless, “The Monkey” sits comfortably at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. What I will say is that Perkins’ film is nothing like “Longlegs,” it’s a whole different beast. It’s a bloody affair, almost reaching camp-level entertainment. It has none of the slow-burn nature of Perkins’ previous films, but is just as well-shot and photographed.
“The Monkey” makes it quite clear that, whether he’s playing it serious or farcical, Perkins has a deranged mind. Don’t expect another “Longlegs,” this is in the total opposite horror register — bloody, comedic and disturbing. Oh, and watch it with as large an audience as possible. It benefits greatly from crowd being seen with a crowd.
“The Monkey” tackles twin brothers, Hal and Bill, played by Theo James, who discover their father's old monkey toy in the attic. Three decades later, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The monkey must be destroyed.