The Monkey

Based on Stephen King’s short story, The Monkey details the chaos and violence that unfolds after twin brothers (Theo James’ Hal and Bill Shelburn) attempt to dispose of a demonic wind-up toy. Director Osgood Perkins, armed with his own screenplay, offers up a predictably off-kilter endeavor that does, surprisingly enough, get off to a promising, watchable start, as the picture, which boasts a terrific pre-credits sequence featuring an amusing cameo appearance, benefits from an opening half hour that effectively exploits the almost inherently compelling (and seemingly foolproof) setup – with the watchable atmosphere enhanced by a proliferation of agreeably bloody (and mean-spirited) set pieces. (The ongoing emphasis on deeply unfunny bits of comedy is consequently, at the outset, easy enough to overlook.) There’s little doubt, then, that The Monkey begins its slow-but-steady descent into irrelevance (and tedium) as it progresses into a meandering and unreasonably broad midsection (ie the relentless quirkiness eventually becomes stifling and exhausting), and it goes without saying, as a result, that certain episodes contained within the movie’s second half are unable to pack the visceral punch for which Perkins is obviously striving – which, despite a too-little-too-late (but admittedly decent) closing stretch, confirms the film’s place as yet another misguided endeavor from a frustratingly talented filmmaker.

*1/2 out of ****