The year 2025 marks a significant chapter for Stephen King fans, as a wave of adaptations based on his work begins with the release of The Monkey, directed by Oz Perkins. This chilling film premiered in February and dives into a generational curse revolving around a sinister toy monkey, setting a grisly tone for a year full of King adaptations. The release is part of a broader trend in 2025 where King’s stories will dominate screens big and small.
The Plot and Characters of The Monkey
The Monkey centers on a family haunted by a malevolent toy monkey that triggers deadly events whenever its key is wound to make it drum. The horror primarily affects twin brothers Hal and Bill, making them the focal point of this dark narrative. This adaptation is notable as it is the first time the 1980 short story has been expanded into a feature-length film, arriving 45 years after its original publication.
The film stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, and Colin O’Brien, with brief appearances by Adam Scott, Elijah Wood, and director Oz Perkins himself. The score, crafted by Edo Van Breemen, and cinematography led by Nico Aguilar contribute to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere of the movie.
Artistic Choices and Narrative Style
Director Oz Perkins, following up on his 2024 success with Longlegs, infuses the film with a blend of horror, dark humor, and surreal moments. He makes a deliberate choice to have the protagonist as twins, which aligns with King’s frequent use of twin characters throughout his works. Perkins balances comedic elements against the story’s ominous premise, differing from the original tale’s more serious tone while retaining its deadly seriousness.
Though the film’s runtime stretches to 98 minutes, it maintains narrative focus with just enough depth to avoid feeling overly drawn out, even as it indulges in graphic deaths and gore. Fans of constant King adaptations will appreciate this film’s gory style paired with its character-driven moments.
Accessibility for Newcomers and Fans Alike
For viewers new to Stephen King’s stories or unfamiliar with his themes, The Monkey offers a visceral and darkly entertaining experience. The film oscillates between intense horror and satirical splatter, making it accessible to those who enjoyed Perkins’ previous work. However, some characters, including Theo James’ portrayal of Hal, may strike as underdeveloped or lacking in believability.
Despite these flaws, the movie delivers sufficient thrills and unusual storytelling to make it a worthwhile watch, especially as an introduction to King’s brooding style tailored for modern horror fans.
A Year Filled with Stephen King Adaptations
The Monkey starts a packed slate of films and shows based on King’s work throughout 2025. The lineup includes Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck in June, Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk in September, and Edgar Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man in November. On television, MGM+ will debut The Institute in July, followed by HBO’s Welcome to Derry, an It prequel scheduled for the fall.
When asked by Anthony Breznican of The Kingcast about this surge in adaptations, King remarked on becoming a nearly franchise-like phenomenon:
“What’s weird is that I’ve almost become a franchise, like Marvel or something. I saw a poster the other day for The Long Walk: ‘based on the legendary Stephen King story’ or something like that. ‘Legendary,’ when it’s connected to a person, basically means old.”
—Stephen King
Box Office and Reception Comparisons
The Monkey grossed $39.7 million domestically and achieved $68.9 million worldwide, competing closely with other recent King adaptations. For example, June 2023’s The Boogeyman made $43.2 million in the U.S. and $67.3 million globally, while the 2022 Firestarter remake underperformed with a $9.7 million domestic gross.
The film also contains a few intentional King references for devoted fans, such as naming a babysitter character Annie Wilkes, a nod to one of King’s iconic figures. Additionally, Colin O’Brien reprises a connection to the Kingverse, having played a young character in 2022’s Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.
Recurring Themes and Sidney Connections in King’s Works
The name Bill appears frequently in King’s universe, with multiple characters sharing it across novels and stories, emphasizing a thematic consistency or fondness for certain names. The film setting includes real Maine elements like the town of Casco, enhanced with fictional features such as the sign “Birthplace of Its Locals!”
The original short story features a babysitter named Beulah, who interacts with Hal in subtly troubling ways, reflecting King’s autobiographical references shared in his memoir On Writing, where he recounts a similarly named babysitter with uncomfortable traits.
Director Oz Perkins’ Approach and Future Prospects
In a conversation on The Kingcast, Perkins indicated that The Monkey stands as a unique project, unlikely to be followed by another King adaptation from him anytime soon:
“I think I’ve established the rule now, which is that everything I do is one of one. Nothing is gonna be—we’re not gonna retread anything. … And so if there was gonna be another King thing, god, I honestly can’t imagine. [The Monkey] feels so complete. It feels like such a move that we made, we landed the plane, as it were, and people really dig it, and don’t fuck with it, you know? Don’t put your head in the tiger and lion’s mouth again.”
—Oz Perkins
Critical Reactions and Audience Response
Stephen King himself praised the film’s boldness, writing on Threads:
“You’ve never seen anything like THE MONKEY. It’s batshit insane. As someone who has indulged in batshittery from time to time, I say that with admiration.”
—Stephen King
The movie received a 78 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ critic score, though the audience score was lower at 56 percent. Metacritic rated it 62 with similar audience reception. Reviews were mixed, with some critics finding Perkins’ dark humor and repeated gore sequences tedious or unengaging.
Angelica Jade Bastién of Vulture remarked that the film
“isn’t comedic enough to distract from the fact that the film traffics in rote archetypes, and it doesn’t quite pluck the heartstrings of its audience over the ragged inheritance from fathers to their sons either,”
calling it
“the worst thing a horror saga can be: boring.”
Adam Nayman described Perkins’ style as
“strangely anodyne,”
while Tim Grierson at Screen Daily criticized the diminishing impact of the orchestrated killings. Conversely, Katie Rife at the A.V. Club appreciated the film’s exploration of
“the tension between the human need to understand why bad things happen and the cruel indifference of the universe in general.”
Comparisons to Other Horror Franchises
Critics often likened The Monkey to prominent horror franchises, describing it as a hybrid of various styles. The New York Times called it a
“demented mash-up of Final Destination and Looney Tunes,”
while Slant noted it felt
“closer in spirit to Evil Dead than Final Destination.”
The A.V. Club described the film as
“part Gremlins and part Final Destination,”
with Vulture highlighting its Final Destination-level hijinks.
Background of The Monkey in King’s Literature
First published in 1980 for Gallery magazine, The Monkey became a centerpiece of King’s 1985 short story collection Skeleton Crew, which adopted a simian theme for its cover art. The same year, King also released the pseudonymous collection The Bachman Books and wrote screenplays for Silver Bullet and Cat’s Eye. The following year witnessed the publication of the novel It, marking a prolific period for the author.
About the Author of This Article
Zach Dionne, a Maine native now based in Tennessee, creates Stephen King-related content on Patreon and extensively follows adaptations of King’s work.
Our Reader’s Queries
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A. Stephen King, a writer from America, is known for his horror and suspense stories. His intelligence is said to be about 130. King’s skill in writing engaging and thrilling tales has gained him many fans and praise from critics.
