Stephen King‘s work is complex and often allows different theories, especially for the work that has been adapted to the big or small screen. His latest adaptation is The Monkey, which is based on his 1980 short story of the same name.
The Monkey comes from Osgood “Oz” Perkins and stars Theo James in a dual role as twin brothers Bill and Hal, as well as Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott, and Elijah Wood. The film follows the two brothers whose lives are affected by a cursed toy monkey that goes on a killing spree. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James addressed a popular fan theory and shared his own thoughts on why it doesn’t work.
Related
1 of A24’s Scariest Movies of All Time Is Coming to Max Next Month
After a solid theatrical run, the acclaimed horror movie is heading to Max in March.
In the interview, James addressed the film’s inspiration, as well as his real-life experiences that helped him play two different characters. He also addressed the theory that there is no monkey and it’s just a “shared delusion” in the Shelburn family.
“I like it as a conceit,” James admitted about the theory. “It’s an interesting concept to touch on, but the reality is that we’ve made a fun movie. It’s supposed to be enjoyed with your friends or in an audience, so you can laugh and be shocked by it.”
We animate the inanimate object in a way, and that’s a fascinating human conundrum.
As for the theory as a whole, the Divergent star noted, “And to completely buy into that concept, it becomes a little too existential, perhaps. The fun of [the monkey] is that it’s representative. Oz says it well. He wanted to create a totem, an icon that is Buddha-like and sits there for you to impress all your judgments or fears upon it. That’s why horror movies often have these inanimate emblems that are so terrifying. There’s total stillness and blankness there, and it’s human nature to project everything onto them only to have it projected back on ourselves. So we animate the inanimate object in a way, and that’s a fascinating human conundrum.”
Related
Brad Pitt’s 12-Year-Old Zombie Horror Film Will Stream for Free Next Month
The 2013 action horror movie finds a new streaming home over a decade after its theatrical debut.
The actor also shared what attracted him to the role: “That’s also what I love about The Monkey. It’s bombastic and wild, with shocking deaths and a lot of blood, but when I was first reading the script on the set of The Gentlemen’s first season, what I loved originally was beneath it. There are some really interesting philosophical themes, and while it again sounds portentous, Oz is good at that. He’s a thoughtful person who’s had a complex life, and those people are often the ones who can contribute most.”
The Monkey Had a Positive Reception
The new film, which is just one of the many Stephen King adaptations, had a positive reception. King himself shared a short review almost a month before the film hit theaters. On Jan. 25, he wrote on Threads, “You’ve never seen anything like THE MONKEY. It’s bats**t insane. As someone who has indulged in batsh**tery from time to time, I say that with admiration.”
The Monkey received many positive reviews, and it currently boasts a Certified Fresh 76% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics out of 170 reviews. The audience was more divided, giving the film a score of 67%, which is merely passable. However, the film is on its way to having Neon’s second-best debut ever, expected to gross between $13.5 million to $14 million in its opening weekend, per Deadline. That will put the film just behind Perkins’ successful Longlegs, which opened to $22.4 million domestically in 2024. It also marks a major win for the film, which had a modest budget of $11 million.
The Monkey is currently playing in theaters.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Threads
The Monkey
- Release Date
-
February 19, 2025
- Runtime
-
98 Minutes
- Director
-
Osgood Perkins
- Writers
-
Osgood Perkins
- Producers
-
John Rickard, Natalia Safran, Ali Jazayeri, Chris Ferguson, Fred Berger, Giuliana Bertuzzi, James Wan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, John Friedberg, Jason Cloth, David Gendron, Michael Clear, Jesse Savath, Peter Luo, Dave Caplan
-
-
-
Christian Convery
Young Hal / Young Bill
-
