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’s The Monkey follows 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 Monkey has received stellar reviews so far, gaining a 79% rating from critics on Rotten 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 about Osgood Perkins’s The 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 of The 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 Monkey currently 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. Though critics had declared the movie Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience’s score would have left The Monkey just shy of Rotten status. While it is also difficult to get a perfect grade on CinemaScore, its ranking of The Monkey implies it is a hardly passable film.
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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 that regular 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 and violent as The Monkey should’ve won over a lot more devoted horror fans, especially after critics hailed it as a great film. This has made The 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 for The Monkey didn’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 Monkey proved to be a lot funnier than expected. While the film’s humor makes it more 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 of Longlegs. Though the way The Monkey juggles 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
The Monkey Had A Reception In Theaters Similar To Osgood Perkins’s Last Film
The Monkey‘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 of Awards Radar even 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 like The Monkey.
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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 to The Monkey, Longlegs was vague about what kind of horror movie it would be in its trailers. What seemed like a shocking new take on The Silence of the Lambs turned out to be a slow-burning horror film. Such movies don’t make for record-breaking blockbusters, making Longlegs‘s performance at the box office an extraordinary achievement. While the trailers for Longlegs succeeded 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
Though Longlegs didn’t achieve the same level of praise from audiences as it did from critics, that didn’t harm the film’s performance in theaters. Longlegs was still a massive box office success, reportedly grossing over $126.9 million against a maximum $10 million budget (via BoxOfficeMojo). It also made around $22.4 million at the domestic box office on opening weekend, already making twice its alleged budget. If The Monkey will have a similar experience in theaters, then it should turn out to be another commercial success for NEON and Osgood Perkins.
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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 to Box 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 as Longlegs‘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 of Longlegs established Osgood Perkins as a household name, guaranteeing that it would drive fans of his last film to see The Monkey in theaters.
Just like with Longlegs, 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 for The Monkey. Just like with Longlegs, 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 with Longlegs, 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.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Awards Radar, Box Office Mojo
The Monkey
6/10
- Release Date
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February 19, 2025
- Runtime
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98 Minutes
- Director
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Osgood Perkins
- Writers
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Osgood Perkins
- Producers
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John Rickard, Natalia Safran, Ali Jazayeri, Chris Ferguson, Fred Berger, Giuliana Bertuzzi, James Wan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, John Friedberg, Jason Cloth, David Gendron, Michael Clear, Jesse Savath, Peter Luo, Dave Caplan