It seems you are referring to The Monkey (2025), an up-and-coming horror film that draws inspiration from a Stephen King short story from his 1985 collection, Skeleton Crew. The Monkey is something to look out for if you enjoy supernaturally charged psychological horror.
🎬 Quick Facts: Director:
Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House) Screenwriters: Osgood Perkins, Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing Producers: James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) and Michael Clear Starring: Theo James (The White Lotus), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), and Colin O’Brien.
🧸 Plot Overview
The plot follows two brothers Hal and Bill as they open an old box that contains their father’s creepy toy of a wind-up monkey that claps together its cymbals. This isn’t an ordinary toy, the rhythmical clapping of the monkey’s cymbals is followed by a death within the family.
Years after they went their seperate ways to start families, the brothers come together to face adult concerns as new flaws emerge from a cursed toy. They have to face their childhood trauma head-on and solve the mystery of the wooden doll before more people die.
The film promises to seamlessly blend horror with psychological thriller as it tackles themes of family, trauma, and destiny.
What Is Once Again Buzzing About This Film🔥
Stephen King Adaptation- Always considering his adaptations to the screen ( It, Doctor Sleep, Gerald’s Game), King always manages to capture the audience’s attention and parents hope this adaptation will be equally fruitful.
Osgood Perkins’ Vision- Often associated with his trademark atmoshperic style of horror, Perkins introduces the orignial story in a slow burn, dread filled approach which enhances the psychological elements of the narrative.
James Wan’s Production- With Wan on board, the picutre is expected to suffice with perfect jump scares and maximum suspense without overindulging in cheap horror cliches.
🏆 Chan Highlights:
Theo James – He is expected to bring new energy to the young adult Hal who has to reckon with his trauma. Fresh off in The White Lotus, James adjusts himself to portraying lot more deep, emotional characters.
Tatiana Maslany – Having played tremendously complicated roles in Orphan Black, she is expected to bring depth into the character of Hal’s love interest/sibling or even possibly his sister.
Elijah Wood – Suggesting the character is most likely a pivotal one to uncover the dark underlying history of the toy, Wood is a horror veteran (Come to Daddy, Maniac) birthed for such roles.
Colin O’Brien- A new up and coming star who will most likely be playing one of the brothers in the films flashback sequences.
What Makes The Monkey Stand Out?
The Monkey, unlike many supernatural horror stories, focuses on a child’s toy and it’s tagline boasts “turning a seemingly harmless childhood toy into a harbinger of death.” The film relies on a disturbing yet simple narrative. This is an excelent example on how King can take toys and transform them into sources of pure terror such as Christine or The Shining’s haunted hotel’s Overlook.
Furthermore, Perkins’ work on psychological horror suggests that this adaptation will likely tackle the characters’ emotional trauma as much as the supernatural horror itself.
Release Date
While it is known that the movie is set to premiere in late 2025, the specific date is not set in stone yet. It is also expect d to be available on streaming services such as Netflix or HBO Max after its box office release.
Final Thoughts
The Monkey aims to uncover deep rooted sources of childhood dread and paranoia. As long as it is not rushed, it could potentially emerge as a hauntingly shocking classic in the horror genre. With the primary cast members being A-list actors and the director having experience of atmospheric horror, this film is bound to be a hit. That combination, along with King and Wan, is a guaranteed success to add to my watch list for 2025.