With The Monkey (2025), Osgood Perkins continues building a legacy that positions him as a future cult director. For some, what he achieved with Longlegs—which I consider one of the best films of 2024—would have been enough. With his latest work, he confirms his sharp talent for telling macabre stories. He steps away from the serious and psychological tone of his previous film to deliver a black comedy that leans into supernatural horror to torment the audience.

Perkins adapts his screenplay from a short story by Stephen King. Twins Bill and Hal discover a mysterious toy monkey in their attic, which once belonged to their father. With the appearance of the creepy monkey—with its large, sinister eyes—came a series of unfortunate events that the brothers quickly associate with their eerie find. Without hesitation, they decide to get rid of the monkey and continue their lives. This is where The Monkey kicks into gear, setting in motion a chain of events that forces Bill and Hal to confront their traumatic past.

The film’s greatest strength lies in its razor-sharp dark humor. Grotesque and visceral sequences dominate the screen but are always presented with a comedic tone. The Monkey delights in mocking death and the misfortune of its characters, who are decapitated, impaled, burned, crushed, or meet any other tragic end. The film never loses momentum. Even when the events feel like a cascade of predictable misfortunes, the director always finds a way to surprise us. Even the most absurd sequences are resolved creatively, always laced with sarcasm.

Theo James carries the heaviest load on the acting side, playing dual roles as the twins Bill and Hal. James portrays two completely different characters and does it convincingly. The rest of the cast have shorter roles but prove essential to the story’s development. The twins’ mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany), delivers some of the film’s most memorable lines, and Nicco del Rio plays a young priest in a brief but brilliant appearance.

A descent into the darkest depths of Osgood Perkins’ eerie mind is what The Monkey offers us. For 1 hour and 38 minutes, it subjects us to his most twisted imaginings, leaving us with a strange mix of satisfaction and discomfort. Acerbic and sharp, the director’s hand is always in full control, from the tense introduction to the frenzied finale.