The Monkey – Movie Reviews by Ry!

The Monkey – Vengeance of Folly and Love: A Brother’s Tale

Within the endless, within the surreal.  With a statement like this, it defines the message of the moment and how an idea can be moved forward.  With film, it is a medium where the possibilities can be more than just a specific genre.  When this happens, the journey can be a fun ride.  In this review, I look at the latest horror film to hit the big screen.  From its general base, we end up in a place that is much more than expected.  Within its clichés, The Monkey is a twisting tale of slash, crass and family bonds.

When twin brothers are caught in the crosshairs of gruesome deaths, the discovery of a toy will lead to a tale of vengeance and blood.  At the heart of horror is fear.  No matter the direction, it is a journey that builds from unimaginable tension, even if there are twists.  In the beginning, we come into this film with a gory (but comedic) like prologue.  From here, a background narrator introduces us to twin siblings Bill and Hal, focused (first act) on their childhood.  As kids (played by Christian Convery), Hal and Bill have a rough like relationship, one that is expounded upon because they are raised by a single parent, their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany).  After a series of adolescent like scenes, they learn about items left by their estranged father, including a weird toy monkey.  With the introduction of this toy (plot device), a series of unexpected situations happen (including an untimely death), leading to the brothers discarding the toy monkey.  From here, their journey shifts decades into the future (second act), where Bill and Hal (played by Theo James), are now adults and have moved on, becoming estranged.  This estrangement comes to an end when another tragic death brings them back together, where they learn that the monkey has (somehow) made its fateful return.  At this point, the film begins to move away from its paranormal/drama foundation, turning towards a characterized path built by relationships and dark humor.  This turn also shifts the cliché of the ‘haunted object’ towards a thematic piece that spins in the irony of the outlandish.  Through this evolving directive, you witness how Hal, his son Petey (Colin O-Brien) and Bill’s journey begin to twist through a satirical narrative that puts a mirror on the meaning of death.  This creates a unique dynamic of colorful situations with tension and gore, driving the ‘plot device’ into a reflection of the brothers’ inner demons.  This leads to a deepened narrative of melding genres, building up drama, suspense and horror through themes of family, brotherhood and vengeance.   

As the two brothers weave through unexpected (and outrageous) like deaths, it leads to a place where each of them must face uncertainty of their own morality.  As things twist and turn, the two brothers ultimately must face certain truths (about their childhood).  This leads into a third act that melds drama with horror like clichés that, ironically, turn into a comedy of moments.  This oddity mix builds up to a satirical like climax and full circle epilogue.  The Monkey is a film that becomes more than just another typical horror tale.  If you are fan of satire, horror or something that is unique, this is a film for you.  I think there is a lot of fun here, a horror film worth the full price of admission.

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)