The Monkey, directed by Osgood Perkins, is adapted from a 1980 Stephen King short story

The film opens in a surprising way: Adam Scott, covered in blood and wearing a pilot's uniform, frantically tries to pawn off a bizarre wind-up toy monkey to a pawnshop owner. This scene quickly plunges the audience into a world of suspense and horror. This unexpected beginning effectively sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

After Captain Peter Sherburn's failed attempt to banish the monkey forever, the camera shifts to his twin sons, Hal and Bill (brilliantly played by Christian Convery, who takes on both roles), who despise each other. Twin conflicts are not uncommon on screen, but the dynamic of one relentlessly bullying the other with the help of an evil high school girl is rare. The portrayal of their animosity adds a unique layer to the narrative.

When they discover a toy monkey among their father's belongings, their animosity gives way, at least temporarily, to shared curiosity. The monkey is contained in a box emblazoned with the words "Clockwork Monkey - As Life," a slogan that ultimately proves accurate. Once the key on the monkey's back is turned, it reveals a sickening grin, clanging its cymbals and foreshadowing someone's imminent death. As for who will die, and how, it remains a mystery until it happens.

Director Oz Perkins is the son of horror icon Anthony Perkins, who was forever defined by his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's groundbreaking 1960 film, "Psycho." Having been surrounded by bizarre deaths from a young age (including one implied in the film), the younger Perkins revels in his novel and gruesome methods of killing in "Monkey." His upbringing clearly influenced his approach to horror filmmaking.

This film, adapted from a short story by Stephen King, shares similarities with horror franchises like "Final Destination" in its randomness and incredulity of violence. But unlike the invisible hand of fate as the mastermind, this time, it is an evil monkey doing the haunting—a monkey that has plagued the Sherburn family for generations. The presence of the monkey adds a tangible and unsettling element to the story.

One could say that the monkey symbolizes intergenerational trauma, but if I could use the monkey to represent patriarchy, it would be as if the monkey's violence radiates outward, harming everyone but the Sherburn family men, even if this violence comes at a great personal cost to them. The interpretation of the monkey's symbolism adds depth to the narrative.

After nearly everyone close to the twins dies in new and disgusting ways, we arrive in the future. A disillusioned adult Hal (played by Theo James, who sheds his jerk persona from "The White Lotus" for a very nerdy role) works a dead-end job. He is a single father who, fearing the curse, forbids himself from seeing his son, Peter (Colin O'Brien), more than once a year, despite having left his family 25 years ago. His isolation highlights the lasting impact of the curse.

Chaos ensues when Hal discovers that the monkey is back, and this time, it's escalating to slaughtering an entire town. Hal seeks out his estranged brother—the gothic and deranged Bill (also played by James)—perhaps for one last battle with the cursed monkey, while his son discovers the real reason his father abandoned him. The reunion of the brothers and the son's discovery adds emotional weight to the plot.

In this film adapted from Stephen King's 1980 short story, the rules are not entirely clear. Sometimes, no one turns the key on the monkey's back, but people still die. It can magically teleport anywhere, but only if it wants to. The film also makes it clear that the monkey doesn't listen to anyone—if you turn the key, you won't die, but neither will the person you hate. The ambiguity of the rules adds to the sense of unpredictability and dread.

Unlike Perkins' starkly different "Longlegs," "Monkey" plays more like a comedy than a horror film. In fact, it's not really a horror film at all—you're unlikely to be haunted by nightmares, but you will find plenty of humor in the well-drawn characters, even if they don't stay on screen for long. Perkins himself plays Uncle Chip, the twins' swing-dancing stepfather, and Tess Degenstein plays a very cheerful real estate agent. The film's comedic elements provide a welcome contrast to the horror elements.

"Monkey" is a very unserious film that cheerfully embraces one man's vision of the myriad gruesome ways we might die. Outlining any of them would rob the film of its primary strengths—a sense of suspense and the joy of discovery. The film's unpredictable nature and surprising deaths are best experienced firsthand.

The film's pacing does flag somewhat near the end when it tries to introduce ancillary characters that are irrelevant to the plot. You never develop enough attachment to any of the characters to care whether they live or die. The lack of character development diminishes the emotional impact of the ending.

Therefore, other than the fact that we are all going to die—some in more outrageous ways than others—"Monkey" doesn't really have any deeper meaning. The film ultimately prioritizes entertainment over profound thematic exploration.