The Monkey (2025)

The Monkey (2025) is a horror-comedy film based on Stephen King’s short story, directed by Osgood Perkins. The story begins in 1999, when airline pilot Petey Shelburn tries to dispose of a cursed wind-up monkey toy, only to mysteriously vanish after the toy triggers a deadly accident. He leaves behind twin sons, Hal and Bill, who later discover the monkey in their attic. Every time the monkey's key is turned and it begins to drum, someone dies in a bizarre and often gruesome way—starting with their babysitter, then their mother, and eventually their uncle. Traumatized, the boys throw the monkey down a well, hoping the curse is gone for good. Twenty-five years later, Hal is estranged from both his brother and his teenage son, Petey. But when strange, fatal accidents begin to happen again, Hal reunites with Bill, who believes the monkey has returned. As more deaths occur, including a wasp attack and a fatal bowling ball incident, the brothers realize the toy’s power is real. After a final, deadly confrontation, Bill is killed, and Hal decides to carry the monkey with him—accepting that death is an inescapable part of life, especially when the monkey drums. The film ends with a symbolic appearance of Death itself, marking the story’s eerie, tragic conclusion.