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The first reactions are in for The Monkey, a new horror movie from Longlegs director Osgood Perkins, and they're calling it "dark and brutal", "outlandishly demented", and "cartoonishly bloody".
Adapted from Stephen King's short story, the film follows twin brothers Bill and Hal (both played by Theo James), who find their father's old monkey toy in the attic and awake something dangerous. After a series of gruesome deaths start, they decide to throw the toy away, but will that be enough to stop its horrifying powers?
"Osgood Perkins’ #TheMonkey fuckin’ cooks," wrote one critic about the movie. "It’s BANANAS! An outlandishly demented, coked-up ride. Slick, stylized & sadistic. Gnarly, gleefully fresh kills & thrills - a la Rube Goldberg machines/Final Destination-inspired demises. Theo James’ deadpan delivery impresses."
"2025 is all about horror out of the gate, and Oz Perkins’ #TheMonkey is a very good time - incredibly funny to the point people were cackling in my theater, but also dark, gory & brutal with some amazing kills," tweeted another critic. "Very different from LONGLEGS - Perkins flexing his range, tonally, delivering a film that very much enjoys monkeying around. You’ll jump and yell and cover your eyes, but you’ll definitely walk out smiling. No doubt you should watch this with a crowd."
"THE MONKEY is going to be one of those horror movies I watch over and over for the rest of my life," read another tweet. "Dark and brutal enough so that calling it a “horror comedy” feels wrong, but it’s also the hardest I’ve laughed in a movie theater in years. A new classic King adaption is born."
"Adored #TheMonkey. Oz Perkins has been one of the most exciting genre filmmakers since he started and his latest is about as good a time as you can have at the movies - funny, scary, poignant and so, so fun. A rare movie that can be compared to Gremlins in terms of giddy chaos," another critic said.
"THE MONKEY: Death’s design as a cosmic joke, a killing machine that unleashes splatstick carnage and traumatizes everyone; cartoonishly bloody yet sincere about the inevitability of death and absurdity of processing chaos. Oz Perkins’ FINAL DESTINATION, in a mournfully droll key," wrote one more.
The Monkey arrives in theaters on February 21, 2025. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other best upcoming horror movies coming our way in 2025.
