Filmmaker Osgood Perkins’ second movie in just a few short months, “The Monkey”—which follows this summer’s breakout Neon hit, “Longlegs,” is out in the world this weekend. One of the highlights of this absurdist horror is the creative ways it kills some of its characters.
Our interview with Perkins on The Discourse podcast will run tomorrow, but suffice it to say, the creative ways in which people are killed in the movie is definitely a topic at hand. The director and his team held regular “death meetings” to ensure each scene was as over-the-top as possible, a process that led to what he describes as “just a love fest” on set.
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With that in mind. Neon has released a new trailer where Perkins runs down many of the deaths in the movie: eviscerations, impalements, disembowelments, defenestrations, conflagrations and much more.
Perkins was an actor before he became a writer/director, so he knows how to add a little creepy flair to the clip.
Based on a Stephen King short story of the same name, “The Monkey” stars Theo James in a black-humored tale of murder and mayhem, with a wind-up toy monkey at its center.
Here’s an official synopsis for ‘The Monkey,” courtesy of NEON:
When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.
Along with James, Perkins’ latest also stars Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy.
Along with directing, Perkins adapts King’s short story for the big screen. James Wan leads producers via Atomic Monster. Other producers include Michael Clear, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Chris Ferguson.
“The Monkey” opens tomorrow, February 21. Check out the film’s new trailer below.
