Theo James and Christian Convery pull double duty as the older and younger versions of twin brothers Hal and Bill in Osgood Perkins horror comedy, The Monkey. Using the original Stephen King short story as a launching point Perkins delivers a gory tense ride, that releases with every gruesome kill and then ratchets the tension yet again.

Hal and Bill are stunned when they discover a wind-up monkey in their late father’s (Adam Scott) possessions. When wound, the monkey’s drum heralds death, but it’s random, terrifying and insanely funny.

When the monkey claims the life of their mother (Tatiana Maslany), it’s discarded in a well, and causes years of estrangement between the two.

Hal has a whole new set of problems as an adult. He’s divorced, his ex-wife, Barbara (Tess Degenstein) is now with Ted (Elijah Wood) who is preparing to fully adopt Hal’s son, Petey (Colin O’Brien).

Hal and Petey, whose own relationship is strained, are giving one last week together, but trouble raises its simian face when the monkey reappears and the bodies really begin to pile up.

The body count is insane, the effects make for a bloody and hilarious ride as things just get bigger and crazier. And since the deaths are random, you never quite know where things are coming from. You may know who’s getting it, but not when or how.

It could be just a goofy, bloody ride, but James and Convery layer their roles nicely and there’s some nice character work, which makes the film all the more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this one. It rolls along nicely, has some great moments, and I just couldn’t wait to see how things would play out.

The practical effect of the monkey itself is fantastic. It’s creepy and menacing, and when it just shows up in places, it’s downright unsettling.

Perkins has become a quick favorite of mine, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. I’d love to see him take on another Stephen King story. Between him and Mike Flanagan, we’re getting some great Stephen King works recently, and this one is just insanely fun.

Some fantastic moments, kills, and a great cast make for a highly engaging horror-comedy that leans into the blood and gore and has so much fun doing it. James was great, and I always delight when Maslany shows up in projects, and with the surprise of Scott in the film’s opening, there wasn’t a single thing I didn’t love in this film.

And that extra fun kill right at the end of the film at the intersection, the perfect button. This was a hoot.