Osgood Perkins described The Monkey as a sharp tonal contrast to Longlegs: a Stephen King adaptation intended to mix extreme violence with comedy, nostalgia and family emotion. Those comments appeared in June 2024, before the film’s release, so they describe Perkins’s aims—not a verdict on how the finished film plays.
What did Osgood Perkins say about The Monkey?
In an interview with Bloody Disgusting’s Boo Crew, as reported by Gizmodo on June 21, 2024, Perkins described the movie as a blend of grotesque violence, comedy and feeling. “People blow up, people explode; it’s very extreme but it’s very funny. It’s very father-son redemption, it’s very touching, it’s very nostalgic, it’s very Stephen King,” he said.
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Perkins also cited Misery, Creepshow, Gremlins and An American Werewolf in London as touchstones, evoking a late-1980s-to-1990s sensibility. These were his comparisons for the intended mood, not a claim that the film copies those movies scene for scene.
Is The Monkey like Longlegs?
Perkins’s answer was emphatic: “It couldn’t be less like Longlegs.” In context, he was distinguishing the new project’s intended tone from that of his then-upcoming Longlegs. His description points toward a more playful, nostalgic horror film, with outrageous violence and a family-redemption thread, rather than treating the two films as tonal twins. The contrast is his stated creative intention, not a measured comparison of audience reactions.
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#1 Best Overall
- The Monkey [4K UHD]
- Based on the short story by Stephen King
What is The Monkey about?
The Monkey adapts Stephen King’s short story, which appears in the collection Skeleton Crew. Its story follows twin brothers who discover their father’s vintage toy monkey. Deaths follow, the brothers go their separate ways, and they reunite when the killing starts again. The official NEON synopsis describes the monkey resuming its spree and forcing the estranged brothers to confront it.
When was the film released, and who made it?
Stephen King’s official film page lists the US theatrical release as February 21, 2025. Perkins wrote and directed the film, James Wan produced it, and Neon distributed it. The release date matters when reading the June 2024 comments: at the time, The Monkey was still a forthcoming project, and the statements described the tone Perkins wanted to pursue.
Rank #2
- The Monkey [Blu-ray]
- Based on the short story by Stephen King
Where can you watch The Monkey?
Disney+ lists the 2025 film with a runtime of 1 hour 37 minutes. Streaming catalogs vary by country and change over time, so check the Disney+ listing for your location for current availability.
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Rank #3
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