The Monkey: how to watch, reviews, trailer, cast and everything we know about the Theo James horror movie

Theo James in The Monkey
Theo James in The Monkey (Image credit: Neon)

Coming off one of the best-reviewed, buzziest and biggest box office indie horror/thriller movies in years in Longlegs, writer/director Osgood Perkins already has his next project on the horizon, an enticing collaboration with James Wan and Stephen King titled The Monkey.

That is quite the horror trifecta. King, of course, is one of the most famous writers of horror in the world, with many of his stories having received the movie treatment, including The Shining, IT, Carrie and more; The Monkey is one of his short stories that to our knowledge has not been adapted before. Wan, meanwhile, has been behind popular horror movies like Saw, The Conjuring and Malignant as a writer, director or producer; he's a producer on The Monkey. Paired with one of the hottest horror directors right now in Perkins, and The Monkey has a lot of creative force behind it.

Here's everything you need to know about The Monkey.

The Monkey release date

The Monkey is now playing exclusively in movie theaters in the US and UK.

Here are the details on how to watch The Monkey.

The Monkey cast

Theo James gets top billing in The Monkey, but The White Lotus season 2 and The Gentlemen star is not the only big name starring in the movie. Other notable names in The Monkey cast include Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law).

The rest of the cast includes Laura Mennell (Project Blue Book), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Sarah Levy (Schitt's Creek), Colin O’Brien (Wonka) and Rohan Campbell (The Hardy Boys).

The Monkey plot

Neon has not shared an official synopsis for The Monkey, but here is one for the story via Amazon:

"Hal didn't know where it had come from, but every time the moth-eaten monkey with the strange yellow eyes clashed his cymbals, jang, jang, jang… somebody died. An irresistible urge had made him turn the key, but that was before he knew what it could do. He thought he had gotten rid of the evil thing once and for all. But the monkey had other plans for Hal."

The Monkey trailer

The official, redband trailer for The Monkey is here. Give it a watch directly below:

THE MONKEY - Official Redband Trailer - In Theaters February 21 - YouTube THE MONKEY - Official Redband Trailer - In Theaters February 21 - YouTube
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You can also watch previously released teaser trailers for the horror movie right here:

THE MONKEY - In Theaters February 21, 2025 - YouTube THE MONKEY - In Theaters February 21, 2025 - YouTube
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Now a redband teaser gives us some more footage and a little idea of the plot, and I'll be honest, the trailer makes it look like a fun, gory time. Check it out here:

THE MONKEY - Official Redband Teaser - In Theaters February 21 - YouTube THE MONKEY - Official Redband Teaser - In Theaters February 21 - YouTube
Watch On

The Monkey reviews

Read WTW's The Monkey review right here.

As for the movie's overall reception, the movie earned a "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

Osgood Perkins movies

Osgood Perkins is riding a high following the hit of Longlegs, but check out the director's full list of feature credits to date:

  • The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
  • I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)
  • Gretel & Hansel (2020)
  • Longlegs (2024)
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Michael Balderston
Assistant Managing Editor

Michael Balderston is What to Watch’s assistant managing editor and lead movie writer, covering movies coming to theaters, writing movie reviews and highlighting new and classic movies on streaming services; he also covers a range of TV shows, including those in the Taylor Sheridan universe, Slow Horses, Only Murders in the Building, Jeopardy!, Saturday Night Live and more, as well as the best ways to watch some major US sporting events.

Based outside of Washington, D.C., Michael's previous experience includes writing for Awards Circuit, TV Technology and The Wrap.

Michael’s favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, while his favorite TV show is Seinfeld. Some 2025 favorites include One of Them Days and Black Bag for movies, and The Pitt on TV. Follow on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching.

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