“Everybody dies, and that’s life.”

It’s the point of the movie and, hilariously enough, delivered in such a deliciously dark wave of the hand that one - especially if you are a fan of the morbid and the blackest of black humor - can’t help but fall victim to The Monkey.

And now, thanks to Decal Releasing and Neon, Osgood Perkins’ follow-up to Longlegs arrives on 4K.  It’s Leatherface by way of Looney Tunes and it works to create another unexpected horror gem.  The horror is relentless and so too is the stab at absurdist humor . . . all of which begins with a badly bloodied Adam Scott trying to return a toy . . . and immediately an ominous sense of dread is created that is both suspenseful and darkly comedic.

When twin brothers Hal and Bill (both played by Christian Convery in a dual role) discover a peculiar wind-up monkey toy in their childhood home, they turn the key on the monkey’s back, which unwittingly unleashes a force of unimaginable terror. Revealed is the toy’s inexplicable connection to a string of gruesome and bizarre deaths which shatter their family, and leaves scars that linger for decades.

Fast forward twenty-five years, the now-estranged brothers live separate and uneventful lives, haunted by memories they refuse to confront. But when the cursed toy resurfaces and carnage begins anew, Hal and Bill (both played as adults by Theo James) are thrust back into a world they thought they’d left behind.

Determined to end the cycle of bloodshed, the siblings must unravel the dark origins of the monkey and come to terms with their fractured bond. The Monkey is a chilling tale of family, fate, and the cursed relic that binds them. With every twist of the monkey’s crank, the line between love and destruction tightens.

The drumming monkey, with a sinister agenda, becomes a chilling yet oddly absurd harbinger of death. The kill scenes that follow are devilishly creative—so over-the-top and macabre, your only reaction can be uneasy but out-loud laughter. These sequences are undoubtedly the highlight of the experience, showcasing Perkins’ ability to balance gallows humor with genuine frights. With a drumming toy monkey as both its eerie centerpiece and metaphorical core, the film explores such heady topics as inherited trauma, the fragility of control over life, and the ways adults weave comforting lies to shield themselves and their children from harsh truths.

Though hardly consequential in a film such as this, the cast delivers strong performances, particularly in their ability to ground the increasingly ridiculous bloodbath in some semblance of reality. The young Hal and Bill display occasional flashes of endearing connection, although their relationship is undermined by an oddly over-dramatized dynamic that sometimes feels too offbeat to fully invest in. The acting, particularly that of Tatiana Maslany (“Perry Mason”) as the boys’ mother, manages to elevate even some of the script’s weaker moments.

The Monkey succeeds as an audacious entry in the horror canon. Perkins proves his skill at weaving tension with a multitude of sly winks to the audience, drawing laughs and gasps in equal measure.

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition

Home Video Distributor: Decal Releasing
Available on Blu-ray - June 24, 2025
Screen Formats: 2.00:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Video: Native 4K: HDR10
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

When twin brothers Hal and Bill discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years. But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.

VIDEO

The native 4K scan is immersive and impressive; blowing up screens with clarity and depth.  The details in this 2.39:1 formatted picture are absolutely astounding. Every frame is crisp, with fine textures rendered flawlessly, from intricate costume designs to the subtle features of set pieces. You'll notice details that would have been missed in lower resolutions, making rewatching the film a rewarding experience as new elements come to light.

AUDIO

The 4K UHD release is perfect for home theater setups, offering a fully-immersive cinematic audio experience. Whether you're using a high-end sound system or a standard Dolby Atmos-enabled device, the audio scales beautifully.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

The Monkey marks NEON's second collaboration with Perkins, and the studio's second-largest theatrical opening, trailing only Perkins' previous film LONGLEGS. To date, THE MONKEY has grossed over $39 million at the U.S. box office, and over $60 million globally, making it the studio's third highest-grossing film of all time.  Unfortunately, this release is pretty basic when it comes to supplemental material.  I predict a double-dip coming.

• Multiple behind the scenes featurettes
• Funeral program
• Original trailers
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Osgood Perkins
Writer: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Theo James; Tatiana Maslany; Christian Convery
Genre: Horror | Slasher
Tagline: Everybody Dies. And that's Fucked up.
Memorable Movie Quote: "You wouldn't happen to remember if, uh, my aunt had a wind-up toy monkey at the yard sale?"
Distributor: Neon
Official Site: https://neonrated.com/films/the-monkey
Release Date: February 21, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 24, 2025
Synopsis: When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father's old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.