The Monkey

Osgood Perkins, director of last year's hit horror Longlegs, is back with an adaptation of a brilliant Stephen King short story of the same name. Set between the late ‘90s and today, this black comedy follows twin brothers who, upon discovering an old windup monkey toy, are bedevilled with outrageous and gory murders happening to those around them – seemingly being caused by the monkey itself. Throughout the film, Theo James gives a particularly good performance as Hal, offering his oftentimes very funny deadpan narration throughout. The stars of the show, however, are the kills themselves, often incredibly shocking and yet unforgettably creative and absurd. If that sounds like your kind of horror, and you thought Final Destination could only be improved by an evil toy monkey, this might just be the perfect film for you.

Joe Hodgkinson