The Monkeyis the latest brutal horror/comedy from Oz Perkins, director of 2024’s hugely popular thrillerLonglegs. The film is inspired by a Stephen King short story of the same name, which follows a supernatural wind-up monkey that causes a string of outrageous deaths and disrupts the idyllic family life of two brothers. Many years later, the monkey begins to kill again, and the brothers are forced to come together to stop its murderous rampage.The Monkeyfeatures several funny deaths, but it’s also a very serious movie about family and togetherness.
WhileThe Monkeyis a very original and outlandish story that paves its own path within the horror genre, there are many movies that preceded it which borrow certain elements from King’s original story. The American horror writer is responsible for some of the genre’s most twisted creations throughout the years, whether that’sIt’s Pennywise the Clown orThe Shining’s haunted Overlook Hotel - so it’s not totally surprising that his works have been referenced so frequently. There are somevery similar movies toThe Monkey,but one film in particular made a very direct reference to King’s creation.
The Conjuring Seemingly Referenced Stephen King’s The Monkey
James Wan’s Franchise Draws Inspiration From King’s Short Story
Although it was never mentioned by name, there’s a character in James Wan’sThe Conjuringfranchise that closely resembles King’s iconic villain.The Toy Monkey appears in bothThe ConjuringandThe Conjuring 2in a pair of very brief scenes in which Ed and Lorraine Warren are exploring their occult museum. The room houses plenty of supernatural artifacts (this is where audiences get their first glimpse of Annabelle), and the Toy Monkey can be seen lurking in the background.
However, it’s not until the spin-off movieAnnabelle Comes Homethat Ed and Lorraine’s Toy Monkey actually gets directly involved in the story. In this film,a young girl named Daniela unknowingly enters the occult museumand encounters several of the Warrens’ most dangerous artifacts, including the Toy Monkey. The creature begins to chitter and laugh when Daniela accidentally turns on a haunted television that seemingly allows her to see briefly into the future. Although Ed and Lorraine return before Daniela ventures too deep into the museum, it was satisfying to see this Toy Monkey Easter egg pay off.
The Conjuring’s Toy Monkey Is Different From Stephen King’s The Monkey
These Are Not Two Versions Of The Same Character
While the Warrens’ Toy Monkey certainly appears to be a reference to Stephen King’s antagonist, it’s very unlikely to be the same character. As proven inthe ending of Oz Perkins’The Monkey,King’s villain has much stronger and more direct powers than the version seen in theConjuringuniverse.This cursed toy has the ability to directly cause other people to dieby banging on its drum, bending reality to its own dark wishes and seemingly wielding complete control over life and death. This is infinitely more powerful than anything the Toy Monkey does.
Instead, the Warrens’ monkey is more likely to be a regular children’s toy that’s been possessed by some kind of dark spirit. This is essentially how things work in theConjuringuniverse;most of the artifacts in the occult museum started out as regular objectsuntil they were taken over by demons and used as some kind of link to the physical world. These two movies have very different backstories, and it’s probably not accurate to say that something as purely evil and chaotically powerful as Perkins’The Monkeycould exist in Ed and Lorraine’s house.
The Monkey Finally Gave Stephen King’s Creation Its Due
King’s Freaky Creation Is Finally Getting Credit
The Monkeyis one ofStephen King’s scariest short stories, so it’s very surprising that it’s taken so long for somebody to adapt this narrative for the big screen. Given the sheer quantity of Stephen King adaptations out there, the fact thatThe Monkeywas never madebeforenow is probably the most surprising thing about the entire film. This also meant thatmany audiences remained unaware of this brilliant story,as they’d never delved far enough into King’s back catalog. This has never been a problem for stories likeThe ShiningandSalem’s Lot, for example.
Thankfully, Perkins’ stylish horror film has seemingly given King’s short story the popularity that it always deserved.
Thankfully, Perkins’ stylish horror film has seemingly given King’s short story the popularity that it always deserved. Even those who didn’t loveThe Monkeycan admit just how creative and innovative the storytelling is, and hopefully that’s inspired plenty of audiences to actually read the story it was based upon.
The Monkey
Cast
The Monkey is a horror film focused on twin brothers who encounter a mysterious wind-up monkey responsible for a series of tragic events within their family. Twenty-five years later, the estranged brothers are compelled to face the cursed toy once again as it resumes its deadly rampage.
