Director Osgood Perkins' latest film,The Monkey, has become one of the most hotly-discussed horror movies of 2025. Based on the short story by author Stephen King,2025’sThe Monkeyfollows twin brothers who struggle to get rid of a cursed wind-up toy monkey that kills people whenever it is activated, bringing death and chaos to everyone around them.The Monkeyhas received stellar reviewsso far,gaining a 79% rating from critics onRotten Tomatoes, with the film’s thrilling marketing campaign building hype for this long-awaited King adaptation.
Despite the tremendous buzz and critical praise surrounding this film, casual moviegoers have had different opinions aboutOsgood Perkins’sThe Monkey. On the other hand, public opinion on the movie isn’t surprising, given the similar reviews that Perkins got for his previous horror film,Longlegs. While critics and audiences haven’t agreed on the quality ofThe Monkey, Perkins’s track record implies that this horror-comedy is on its way to becoming another commercial success for him and NEON.
The Monkey’s Audience Score On Rotten Tomatoes Is Only At 60%
There Is A Considerable Divide Between Critics And Audiences Over The Monkey
The Monkeycurrently has a 60% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a C+ from CinemaScore. These ratings make for a stark difference between critics' and audiences' reception of the film. Thoughcritics had declared the movie Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience’s score would have leftThe Monkeyjust shy of Rotten status. While it is also difficult to get a perfect grade on CinemaScore, its ranking ofThe Monkeyimplies it is a hardly passable film.
The Monkey’s Toy Explained: The Origin, Powers & How It Compares To The Book
The killer toy in Osgood Perkins’s The Monkey is a mysterious and powerful force like in Stephen King’s short story, albeit with some differences.
It is a well-known fact thatregular viewers and movie critics won’t have the same opinion on a film. It is especially harder for a horror film to win over critics than with other audiences. However, a film as wacky andviolent asThe Monkeyshould’ve won over a lot more devoted horror fans, especially after critics hailed it as a great film. This has madeThe Monkey’s reviews from audiences all the more surprising.
Some Viewers Feel That The Monkey’s Marketing Was Misleading
To Some, The Monkey Didn’t Live Up To The Hype
The Monkey’s trailers teased that it would be a wild and gory horror film with a dark sense of humor. The previews featured plenty of elaborate,bloody deaths caused by the toy monkey, as well as some comedic moments to intrigue audiences. However,the trailers forThe Monkeydidn’t seem to nail down just how scary and funny the movie would be, making the movie jarring for viewers who watched the trailers first.
In the end,The Monkeyproved to be a lot funnier than expected. While the film’s humor makes itmore entertaining, such comedic moments seemed to have also lessened how frightening and serious the film was for audiences. This can be especially disappointing for those who were expecting some scarier moments from the writer and director ofLonglegs. Though the wayThe Monkeyjuggles horror with humor makes it a unique film, it won’t satisfy those looking for a purely terrifying picture.
How The Monkey’s Audience Reaction Is Just Like Longlegs
TheMonkey’s reception by audiences in theaters is nothing new for director Osgood Perkins. His previous feature film,Longlegs, was hyped up by several critics to be a masterpiece and one of the best horror movies of the decade. Joey Magidson ofAwards Radareven labeled it"the best serial killer horror movie since The Silence of the Lambs.“Despite this,the acclaimed horror film was met with a mixed reception from moviegoers, gaining a 61% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes and a C+ on CinemaScore, almost exactly likeThe Monkey.
The Monkey: Who Is On The Horse At The End & What It Means
In a horror film filled with elaborate, gruesome deaths, Osgood Perkins’s The Monkey had an especially bizarre ending with Death appearing on a horse.
Similar toThe Monkey,Longlegswas vague about what kind of horror movie it would be in its trailers. What seemed like a shocking new take onThe Silence of the Lambsturned out to be a slow-burning horror film. Such movies don’t make for record-breaking blockbusters, makingLonglegs’s performance at the box office an extraordinary achievement. While the trailers forLonglegssucceeded in building up excitement for the film, this viral marketing campaign arguably set these people’s hopes too high. Despite its record-breaking profits, the actual film disappointed audiences who came into theaters expecting something different.
Longlegs' Performance Suggests The Monkey’s Divisive Audience Response Won’t Hurt The Movie
The Monkey May Be A Box-Office Success Like Longlegs
ThoughLonglegsdidn’t achieve the same level of praise from audiences as it did from critics, that didn’t harm the film’s performance in theaters.Longlegswas still a massive box office success, reportedly grossing over $126.9 million against a maximum $10 million budget (viaBoxOfficeMojo). It also made around $22.4 million at the domestic box office on opening weekend, already making twice its alleged budget. IfThe Monkeywill have a similar experience in theaters, then it should turn out to be another commercial success for NEON and Osgood Perkins.
The Monkey’s Connection To Stephen King’s Misery Explained
Osgood Perkins’s The Monkey made a surprising reference to one of Stephen King’s most iconic characters, who first appeared as a villain in Misery.
According toBox Office Mojo,the movie has already made $14.2 million domestically on its opening weekend, surpassing its near $10 million budget. Though its opening isn’t as profitable asLonglegs’s, it has already made back its production budget in theaters, ensuring that profits can only increase at this point. On top of that, the success ofLonglegsestablished Osgood Perkins as a household name, guaranteeing that it would drive fans of his last film to seeThe Monkeyin theaters.
Just like withLonglegs, the trailers for Osgood Perkins’s comedic horror movie seemed to have built too much excitement to meet audience’s expectations, leaving it with some less-than-desirable reviews.
All in all, NEON seemed to have done too well with its marketing campaign once again forThe Monkey.Just like withLonglegs, the trailers for Osgood Perkins’s comedic horror movie seemed to have built too much excitement to meet audience’s expectations, leaving it with some less-than-desirable reviews. However, since Perkins won over critics and raked in the cash withLonglegs, combined with Stephen King’s popularity in the world of horror, there’s little reason why Perkins’s latest film won’t fail to do the same.
The Monkey
Cast
The Monkey is a horror film focused on twin brothers who encounter a mysterious wind-up monkey responsible for a series of tragic events within their family. Twenty-five years later, the estranged brothers are compelled to face the cursed toy once again as it resumes its deadly rampage.
