‘The Monkey’ shines as an absurdist horror comedy

If you’ve seen one possessed toy horror movie, you’ve seen them all. And if you are still seeking these films out, and judging from the scores of fans of films like “Annabelle” and “Child’s Play,” there is a market. If you like your horror kills doled out with gobs of gore and twisty Rube Goldberg puzzle-like fashion, you probably can’t wait for the latest in the “Final Destination” series to come out later this year.

So, how does one tackle yet another in an endless stream of Stephen King film adaptations, and one whose story is of a possessed child’s toy? We’ve seen that film 1,000 times, and those steeped in the horror film genre know that delivering anything other than a C-quality movie out of a Stephen King adaptation is a rare feat. Last year’s dreadful “Salem’s Lot” remake, you know what I’m talking about.

Thankfully, director Osgood Perkins is not a hack filmmaker. Love it or hate it, anyone who saw last year’s “Longlegs” knows that Perkins has a distinct style, is willing to take risks, and isn’t going to settle on providing a lackluster experience. The lane he drives in is horror, and for “The Monkey,” Perkins takes a decided turn on the humor highway. Or, perhaps, he drove down “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” cause this movie is off the rails and through the woods, bat-dung crazy.

I’m not a huge horror genre fan, but if the film offers me more than a lame jump scare and an obligatory sequel setup, I’m down for the challenge. Horror doesn’t scare me, but it can creep me out a tad when done right. Perkins doesn’t try hard to scare anyone with “The Monkey” because he knows he can’t. Although Stephen King’s original short story plays it straight, Perkins found the premise of an evil toy monkey that kills at random whenever its key is turned, an opportunity for absurdist humor. 

Everything about this film is dialed up way past Nigel Tufnel’s 11-numbered amp. If the knob extended to 30, that might be closer to what goes on in this film. 

The premise is simple: In the late ’90s, two twin boys/rivals discover a wind-up drum-playing monkey amongst their absent father’s belongings. We deduce pretty quickly that the father is the person who opens the movie in a hilariously gruesome prologue. The toy monkey doesn’t take long to do its thing, and we’re off to the races. 

The movie’s screenplay is laced with a sarcastic and knowing tone throughout, and every character seems in on the joke here. The movie is more “Heathers” than “Scanners,” although there are enough exploding body parts in this film to have body-horror fans standing at attention.

If you are looking for scares, “The Monkey” will not satisfy you. If you are looking for laughs and plenty of gore, it’s time to saddle up and get thee to a movie theater, posthaste.

James Kent is the publisher’s assistant and arts editor at the Mountain Times.