*If you’re looking for a film that will have you screaming one minute and laughing the next, “The Monkey” from NEON delivers exactly that.
The latest Stephen King adaptation, now in theaters nationwide, brings together an ensemble cast that takes viewers on a wild ride filled with outrageous death scenes and dark humor.
EURweb sat down with the cast, who couldn’t stop raving about this unique horror experience. Director Oz Perkins was drawn to the project by its compelling imagery.
“Everybody knows and feels something uncanny about these toy monkeys—it’s something that’s just in the collective psyche as being kind of wrong.”
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Theo James takes on the challenging task of playing two brothers, giving each a distinct personality.
“I’d known Oz for a couple of years, so I knew how astute he was as a writer. I was also a fan of the ‘Black Coast Order’ and his other work.”
“With these characters, they’re so diametrically opposed that you get the joy of playing something very different. But at the same time, I wanted them to feel like brothers, with some love beneath all the hate and toxicity.”
“Schitt’s Creek” fans might do a double-take when they see Sarah Levy in her role.
“I wanted people to look at it and go, ‘Who is this? She sort of looks familiar, but who is that?'”
Her character meets one of the most shocking ends in recent horror history—a scene she described as “an odd joy” to film.
“I hadn’t seen a death like this in a very long time. It just kept going and going.”
The film’s standout performance comes from young actor Christian Convery, who pulls off the impressive feat of playing two completely different characters.
“Hal’s a shy, timid kid who gets bullied, and Bill is this overcompensating, overreaching, overconfident—if you can add ‘over’ to anything, it’s Bill.”
It’s easy to conclude that he brought both characters to life seamlessly, showcasing his incredible acting range and talent
In an exciting surprise for horror fans, Elijah Wood appears in a scene-stealing role that came together at the last minute.
“Elijah was going to be in town for Comic-Con in Vancouver, and they sent him the script; he loved it,” revealed Colin O’Brien, who plays Petey in the film.
Wood’s addition to the cast adds another layer of genre credibility to this unique horror experience.
Speaking of horror, the death scenes in “The Monkey” are nothing short of spectacular. One particular sequence involving a pool electrocution had the cast talking.
“There was a sudden charge that electrified the pool, creating an explosion of gore,” O’Brien described with obvious enthusiasm.
But don’t let the gore fool you—there’s more to “The Monkey” than just shocking deaths. Director Perkins saw something special in this Stephen King adaptation from the start.
“I was excited about the image, obviously. And then, of course, it’s the fact that it’s Stephen King, and you have the opportunity to align yourself with a great man. As people whose jobs are to create something out of nothing, if you give yourself all these head starts—an incredible image, an incredible author—you get a lot of confidence and momentum, which is worth a lot when you’re facing a blank page.”
“The Monkey” is now playing exclusively in theaters, and horror fans won’t want to miss it.
WATCH the full interview via the player at the top of the page and be sure to scroll down to leave a reaction and/or a comment.
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