The term “twin films” refers to two movies that different studios produce, debuting in the same year with similar plots. A recent example from last year is the horror genre’s double feature of nun-centric films, The First Omen and Immaculate. In 2025, we got our first instance of this trend with The Monkey and the sixth entry in the Final Destination series set to premiere in May. Both films explore the theme of death’s unpredictability, but while one franchise has mastered this concept, Osgood Perkins’ recent adaptation of a Stephen King short story didn’t quite hit the mark.
In The Monkey, a family suffers from the worst heirloom imaginable: a drum-banging monkey toy that randomly causes death and destruction. The story follows twin brothers Hal and Bill (both played by Theo James) as they are rummaging through their estranged father’s (Adam Scott) belongings. During their search, they stumble upon a box containing the dreaded monkey. In a way to understand their father’s past, the well-meaning brother Hal decides to wind up the toy. However, neither Hal nor his bully of a brother Bill realize that this first winding will trigger a series of deaths that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. After countless efforts to rid themselves of the monkey, Hal, and his distant son return to his hometown 25 years later, only to confront a string of mysterious deaths.
Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey plays like a montage reel of 1000 Ways to Die. For those who remember that show, it was filled with unnecessary information, forcing viewers to care only about how the person arrived at such a ridiculous demise. I felt the same way while watching this movie; its lack of a cohesive story tried to engage me with the family’s generational trauma, but instead, I found myself more focused on what the next kill would be. Unfortunately, even the deaths were underwhelming and failed to elicit any jaw-dropping reactions.
Every death—whether from a harpoon gun, an electric shock in a swimming pool, or a swarm of bees—lacked the necessary buildup to allow viewers to prepare for or fully absorb what they had just witnessed. The scenes simply came and went, moving on to a storyline that I struggled to care about. Even the cold opening for this year’s Heart Eyes (2025) had more effective death scenes than the entirety of this film.Â
As a director, Perkins is celebrated for his darker films, but as an actor, he tends to bring a comedic flair. The script for The Monkey leans heavily into comedy, featuring a humorous cameo from Perkins himself. The cast does an excellent job of conveying the mixed bag of emotions required to navigate the surrounding chaos. Notably, Tatiana Maslany shines as Lois, the mother of the twins. She perfectly embodies the woefully yet somewhat optimistic single mother and delivers the best performance in the film. Theo James also stands out in his dual role as the twins Hal and Bill, skillfully portraying Hal’s timid nature alongside Bill’s mean and rude demeanor.
In a film filled with an outrageous number of death scenarios, the appearance of a supernatural figure towards the end stands out as potentially the most bizarre moment. As this entity walks past our main character and his son, both are left puzzled and so is the audience. This scene feels oddly out of place, trying to layer symbolism into a one-dimensional story. While it might strike some as humorous, it just feels unnecessary.
Final Thoughts
In today’s horror landscape, which has re-embraced practical effects, it was disappointing to see the extensive use of CGI in many of the death scenes. The rapid pace of the kills I mentioned earlier, combined with the reliance on CGI, seems to reflect how quickly Osgood Perkins is producing films for Neon, and this is becoming increasingly noticeable. His upcoming film, Keeper (2025), will be his third release in just 16 months for the distributor. It’s clear that The Monkey is a product of haste and suffers from a weak script and cheap kills as a result. If you’re looking for a movie that knows how to deliver impressive death scenes, you might want to wait until May for the release of Final Destination: Bloodlines; they’ve had 14 years to perfect it.
2.5/5
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Ever since my mom took me to go see The Blair Witch Project in theaters when I was 7 years old I’ve been obsessed with not just movies but the horror genre. When I’m not watching movies you can find me thrifting, attending a local horror convention, or collecting physical media. I attended the University of Central Florida with a degree in Cinema Studies and use my degree to rant about movies online.
MY FAVORITE MOVIES: The Cabin in the Woods, Cabaret, Seven Samurai, The Blair Witch Project, Inglourious Basterds