SPOILER WARNING: The next offers away some essential particulars from the plot of The Monkey, so when you have not seen the new horror film but and nonetheless determine you need to flip the important thing and browse on, proceed with warning.
After seeing The Monkey, I lastly perceive why I’ve been upset with author and director Osgood Perkins’ extra earnest thrillers that I’ve seen – specifically Longlegs (which I discovered underwhelming), and the frankly boring I’m the Fairly Factor That Lives within the Home. I believe the person was clearly destined to make horror-comedy films as a result of he just about nails the absurdly macabre tone of his new Stephen King film based mostly on a brief story a couple of wind-up toy with mysteriously lethal talents.
That being stated, regardless of its gloriously gory demise scenes and brutally darkish humorousness, The Monkey isn’t fairly my favourite film launched in 2025 up to now, neither is it one of the best horror film I’ve seen this yr. The primary disadvantage for me is admittedly a bizarre one and truly has one thing to do with the movie’s star, Theo James. Earlier than any followers of the previous Divergent solid member aspire to show The Monkey’s key with me in thoughts, permit me to elucidate.
Theo James Is Too Good-looking To Play Hal
I agree with CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg, who says in his evaluate of The Monkey that Theo James offers a fantastic efficiency because the tormented central character, Hal Shelburn, portraying the awkwardly sheepish and tormented soul in a openly comical method. Nevertheless, am I the one one who believes the English actor is just a bit too handsome for the half?
Hal, serving because the story’s narrator, describes himself as a friendless, pathetic dweeb, basically, which I understand is clearly the results of his traumatic childhood having had a magically murderous toy monkey in the home. But, for my part, James’ basic main man seems to be don’t lend effectively to that established persona, and simply placing glasses on him isn’t probably the most convincing manner of fixing that.
Nevertheless, He Is A Good Match For Invoice
Theo James additionally stars in The Monkey as Hal’s twin, Invoice, who blames his brother for inflicting the demise of their mom (performed by Tatiana Maslany) and seeks to actual his revenge by discovering the misplaced monkey toy. Fairly frankly, I imagine that the actor offers the stronger efficiency because the evil sibling, and I’d truly give among the credit score for that to his bodily look.
That will sound paradoxical for the reason that characters are deliberately similar to 1 one other. Nevertheless, James’ main man seems to be are in some way a greater match for the deeply disturbed and wildly unhinged character’s extra intimidating aura, which additionally serves as a simpler technique to inform the brothers aside than giving certainly one of them glasses to put on.
General, Christian Convery Is The Actual MVP
For the entire strengths in Theo James’ performances as Hal and Invoice, for me, the higher portrayal of each characters comes from Christian Convery taking part in the twins as teenagers. The 15-year-old actor, who’s changing into a little bit of a horror film icon within the making together with his roles in The Monkey and 2023’s Cocaine Bear, is the primary individual we see taking part in the siblings in a 1999-set flashback that makes up almost your entire first act. Fairly frankly, I’d not have minded if the entire film was set throughout their childhood.
The star of Netflix’s DC Comics-based TV present Candy Tooth may not have even wanted to put on glasses when taking part in the meek Hal with the way in which he expertly balances the function with the merciless and mischievous Invoice. To not point out, not like James, I not solely imagine Convery’s pure look is an effective match for every twin’s vastly totally different persona however that his twin performances are equally excellent.
Regardless of my slight reservations about Theo James as Hal, his surprisingly humorous efficiency as each him and Invoice in The Monkey did assist earn him extra respect from me as an actor with extra versatility than I anticipated after I first noticed him within the Divergent films. Maybe I’ll steam The Gents on Netflix or try his Emmy-nominated flip in The White Lotus Season 2. Plus, I definitely wouldn’t thoughts watching The Monkey once more when it turns into out there for house viewing.