Critics’ first reactions to The Monkey describe a Stephen King adaptation that pairs pitch-black jokes with frequent, explicit deaths. Reviewers often praise the inventive kill scenes and Theo James’s performance as twin brothers, while some find the gore repetitive or the film’s ideas about mortality and family too heavily explained. Whether the blend works depends on how much comic splatter—and how little conventional suspense—you want from a horror film.
What is The Monkey about, and what is it based on?
The Monkey adapts Stephen King’s short story of the same name, included in his collection Skeleton Crew. The film opened theatrically in the United States on February 21, 2025, and runs 98 minutes, according to Rotten Tomatoes’ first-reviews roundup, updated May 1, 2025. Rotten Tomatoes’ roundup gathers critics’ reactions rather than audience survey results.
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![The Monkey [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/411WXYV975L._SL160_.jpg)
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The Monkey [Blu-ray] | $16.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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![The Monkey [4K UHD + Blu-Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41OXD3-LQqL._SL160_.jpg)
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The Monkey [4K UHD + Blu-Ray] | $19.62 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Monkey Blu-ray | 2025 Horror Movie by Osgood Perkins | Region B - Australia | $21.32 | Buy on Amazon |
For readers who want to compare the source with the adaptation, Simon & Schuster lists paperback editions of Skeleton Crew, the collection that contains “The Monkey.” The publisher’s book page is a reference for the story’s place in King’s collection; it does not establish current retailer stock.
Is The Monkey funny or scary?
The critical picture leans toward horror comedy: deaths arrive with blackly comic timing and grotesque punchlines, rather than building steadily toward sustained fright. Katie Rife of the AV Club calls the violence “Looney Tunes carnage” and says the film is not trying to be scary. Other reviewers admire its comic construction. Dan Bayer of Next Best Picture describes it as a deadpan horror comedy with precise timing and joke structure.
#1 Best Overall
- The Monkey [Blu-ray]
- Based on the short story by Stephen King
That is not a promise that every gag will land. Some critics found the tonal shifts uneven, and reactions to the balance of humor and horror differ. The safest expectation is a deliberately outrageous film whose jokes are inseparable from its violence, not a conventional scare-first adaptation.
How gory is it?
Rotten Tomatoes’ roundup characterizes the deaths as frequent, explicit, and splattery. The violence is a central feature of the film’s comedy, not an occasional shock. Some critics find the kills inventive and entertaining; others feel the repeated gore loses force. If explicit on-screen deaths are a deal-breaker, the critical descriptions suggest caution. Individual tolerance varies, and the roundup does not provide a content-rating breakdown.
What do first reviews praise?
Inventive kills and comic timing
Positive reviews highlight the way the deaths are staged and timed: the scenes can function as elaborate visual gags as much as horror set pieces. Bill Bria of Discussing Film calls the humor “pitch-black,” while Bayer’s praise focuses on the precision of the jokes. For these critics, the craft of the comic setup is part of the attraction.
Theo James as twin brothers
James’s work playing twins is a recurring strength in the roundup. Critics note the distinction he brings to the two characters, giving the film a human performance counterweight to its deliberately extravagant death scenes.
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Ideas beneath the splatter
Some reviews see the film’s comedy as a vehicle for thoughts about death, guilt, remorse, and family. These themes help explain why the story aims for more than a chain of bloody set pieces, even when critics disagree about how successfully it gets there.
What are the main reservations?
The gore can feel repetitive
A device that produces a strong shock or laugh once may become predictable when repeated. Some critics praise the escalation and variety; others say the film leans too heavily on the same broad attraction: outrageous death followed by a comic beat.
The themes may be overexplained
Not every reviewer finds the reflections on mortality and remorse subtle. Siddhant Adlakha of Inverse argues that those ruminations are held back by a tonally haphazard approach. Other reservations in the roundup include plot or thematic explanations that feel too blunt, rather than allowing the ideas to emerge naturally from the story.
The tonal mix does not work for everyone
The film’s central gamble is to make violent deaths funny while retaining an undercurrent of dread. Critics who enjoy its deadpan absurdity see that collision as the point; skeptics find that the irony is not consistently funny or emotionally forceful. That divide is more informative than a blanket label such as “scary” or “funny.”
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- Theo James, Christian Convery, Osgood Perkins
What does the Rotten Tomatoes score tell you?
Rotten Tomatoes’ roundup displayed a 77% Tomatometer score on its page in 2025. That is a dated page figure, not a permanent rating: the score can change as reviews are added or the page is updated. It summarizes critics’ reviews and does not tell you whether the film’s specific mix of gore, comedy, and family themes will suit your taste. Check the roundup for its current displayed score and review context.
Who is likely to enjoy this adaptation?
The critical reactions point toward a better fit for viewers who welcome explicit splatter, dark comedy, and conspicuously staged death gags. King readers may also be interested in seeing how a short story from Skeleton Crew becomes a feature-length film, though the reviews do not establish that the adaptation will satisfy every fan of the story.
Viewers seeking restrained horror, sustained suspense, or understated thematic treatment may be less persuaded. The main question is not simply whether you like horror: it is whether the comic rhythm of repeated, graphic deaths sounds inventive or exhausting to you.
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