The Monkey

What’s it about?

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 brothers to confront the cursed toy. 

The facts 

• Directed by Oz Perkins (Longlegs)
• Stars Theo James (The Gentleman), Christian Convery (Cocaine Bear), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings)
• English language 
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Based on Stephen King’s short story The Monkey (1980)

Why did it get this rating? 

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Horror

This film has horror elements including a windup toy that kills people, unsettling music, violence and jump scares.

Because The Monkey is a dark comedy, scary moments are either done in a humorous way or followed by humour shortly after, lessening the impact of some scenes. 

Violence

Many characters are killed in gruesome ways with a lot of blood splatter, severed and exploding body parts, bone crushing and audible body injuries. The violence is done in an over-the-top way with the intention to shock viewers, however a lot of it is unrealistic and humorous which minimises its effect. 

Some examples of violence include: 

• After an outdoor fan short circuits and falls into the water, a character dives into a pool and is electrocuted. Her body explodes and blood and body parts fly everywhere.
• A character has an aneurysm, causing blood to pour out of their ears and eyes.
• A character is trampled by horses while inside a sleeping bag. You see the body, which a pathologist describes as looking like “the inside of a cherry pie.”
• Three dead bodies fall through a building after a plane crash.
• In a flashback montage, you see a character run over by a lawnmower, another’s face burned off with steam, and someone else attacked by a snake. The shots are brief but gruesome.

Offensive language

The Monkey contains frequent offensive language, a lot of which is used for humour. Words include “f**,” “s**t,” “bulls**t,” “wh*re,” “horsesh**t,” and “bitch.” 

One of the characters is repeatedly referred to as “dumbsh*t.”

Multiple characters repeat the phrase “damn, that f**king sucks.”

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information 

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?