After the breakout success of Longlegs, writer/director Oz Perkins returns with another horror adaptation from the works of Stephen King. The Monkey stars Theo James as a pair of twins haunted by a cymbal-smacking monkey toy. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Elijah Wood (Lord of The Rings, Yellowjackets), and Adam Scott (Severance) also get roped into the creepy monkey mess.
In his review for IGN, critic Tom Jorgenson calls The Monkey “one of the best horror-comedies (and Stephen King adaptations) in recent memory, exploding off the screen with both gory kills and big laughs.” Sounds like a true horror comedy to me.
If you’re planning to catch The Monkey in theaters or wondering when it will be available to stream, check out the details below.
How to Watch The Monkey – Showtimes and Streaming Release Date
The Monkey just released in theaters on February 21. You can check out showtimes near you at the main theater links below:
FandangoAMC TheatersCinemark TheatersRegal Theaters
The Monkey Streaming Release Date
The Monkey will eventually stream on Hulu instead of Netflix or Max. The Monkey is being distributed by Neon, which has an agreement with Hulu that gives the streaming service rights to its theatrical releases.
In contrast to the recent trend of “straight-to-streaming” movies, Neon’s independent releases take quite a while to end up on the service. For example, Oz Perkins’ previous movie, Longlegs, was released in theaters on July 12, 2024, and didn’t appear on Hulu until February 14, 2025, around seven months later.
While you might have to wait several months for The Monkey to appear on Hulu, the new Oz Perkins movie should still be available to rent or buy through digital marketplaces like Prime Video by early May.
What Is The Monkey About?
The Monkey is based on Stephen King’s short story by the same name, originally published in 1980 before being revised for the Skeleton Crew collection in 1985. Here’s the movie’s official synopsis:
When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree, forcing the estranged siblings to confront the cursed toy.
Does The Monkey Have a Post-Credits Scene?
While The Monkey doesn’t technically have a post-credits scene, there’s a “surprise” worth waiting around for. Beware spoilers, but you can learn more about that in IGN’s guide to The Monkey’s ending.
The Monkey Cast
The Monkey was written and directed by Oz Perkins. The movie stars the following cast:
Theo James as Hal and Bill ShelburnChristian Convery as young Hal and BillTatiana Maslany as Lois ShelburnColin O’Brien as PeteyRohan Campbell as RickySarah Levy as IdaAdam Scott as Capt. Petey ShelburnElijah Wood as Ted HammermanOsgood Perkins as ChipDanica Dreyer as Annie WilkesLaura Mennell as Hal’s ex-wife and Petey’s motherNicco Del Rio as Rookie Priest
The Monkey Rating and Runtime
The Monkey is Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references. The movie runs for a total of 1 hour and 38 minutes.
