By Jason Osiason

The Monkey, directed by Osgood Perkins, who recently made the Nicolas Cage horror film Longlegs, looks like it has everything it needs to work. The images are often striking, the kills are clever and brutal, and the story reaches for something larger about guilt, regret, and the damage people do without realizing it. But the pieces never come together. The film drifts between horror and dark humor, and in trying to do both, but it never finds a rhythm. What is left is a film that can be thrilling in moments, but hollow where it should have a heart.

The story follows Hal Shelburn, played by Theo James, haunted since childhood by a cursed monkey toy linked to a string of deaths. Early on there are hints at something deeper. Hal’s relationship with his father, played by Adam Scott, could have given the film more weight, but it gets pushed aside too soon. The dynamic between Hal and his son Petey feels like it should echo that same pain and fear, but it never gets enough time to leave a mark.

The plot twists feel forced, more like jolts to keep things moving than turns that grow from the story. The deaths, while flashy, lose impact as they pile up. What should be shocking starts to feel repetitive. Elijah Wood adds some odd charm when he appears, but his character feels like an extra piece instead of part of the core story.

The Monkey looks like a film that should work. It has a director who knows how to build atmosphere, a story that hints at deeper meaning, and set pieces that can be brutal and inventive. But it keeps getting in its own way. The tone shifts from horror to dark humor, but instead of feeling layered, it feels undecided. The kills may be clever, but they start to feel like empty spectacle because the story behind them never takes hold. The final reveal, instead of giving the film weight, plays like a joke at the audience’s expense. There are moments when you can see what the film wanted to be, but they slip away as quickly as they come.

In the end, The Monkey has style, but not enough soul to make it matter. [C]