Angry Horror Thoughts
On The Monkey, Heart Eyes, and Companion
No Psycho. this week! Enjoy a short piece on a few recent horror films instead, from Elena.
With the success of Longlegs (2024) behind him, Osgood Perkins could rely on some strong word of mouth for his next film, The Monkey, now out in cinemas. This may sound like a trite way to begin a conversation about some horror films, but word of mouth, expectations, and audiences are at the heart of what I want to discuss.
The Monkey doesn’t work. Though nowhere near as exciting as Longlegs, it hangs together well until we move to the story of the adult protagonist, played by Theo James. He isn’t to blame, the story simply becomes misshapen, the quips overwhelming, and the mystery less compelling. The overall impression is of a promising early draft that needed to go through a few more rounds, mostly to get rid of some unconvincing tonal shifts and figure out a way to bring back the Adam Scott character. Ultimately, it is still a worthwhile cinema experience, with many exciting formal ideas, actually funny gallows humour, and a few surreal moments that are inspiring in themselves.
