The following contains minor spoilers for The Monkey.Stephen King reacts to some of the major deaths in The Monkey. Directed by Osgood Perkins, the 2025 movie adaptation of the namesake short story by King is packed with explosive deaths. Revolving around an identical twin, Hal and Bill (Theo James), and a killer toy monkey, the brothers attempt to use the Monkey for malicious purposes but only end up hurting those around them.

In an interview with IGN, King reacted to the deaths in the movie, revealing that several made him “howl” even though he didn’t want to. Check out what he said below:

The thing is, humor and horror are Siamese twins. They’re very close. I think that it stops being funny when it starts being you. Oz [Perkins] is right when he says that the deaths are like Wile E. Coyote. Man, there are a couple of things in this movie that just made me howl. I mean, I just sort of hate myself for howling, but I howled nonetheless.

Taking Aunt Ida’s death, for example, the author expressed that it’s probably one that’ll haunt people “for the rest of your f–king life.”

There’s a thing with fishing lures that you’re never going to forget. You’re going to see it for the rest of your f–king life.

While reflecting on Perkins’ approach to deaths, the horror author shared that the way the movie handles them mirrors life in uncanny ways.

You can get up on an ordinary day and things just go to hell. You just can’t decide. And that shows up in the way that the monkey twirls its sticks and then all at once… Something happens to somebody, but you don’t know who it’s going to be.

What This Means For The Monkey’s Approach To Horror

It Has Inventive Deaths & Humor

King’s comment on the comedy and horror in The Monkey may offer some reᴀssurance to those who have negative experiences with the infamous genre. Perkins has previously revealed that he received some pushback from the studios due to the movie tackling both comedy and horror, given that the two together usually yield undesired results. This seems evident since the movie scored a C-on CinemaScore, which typically measures audience reception. However, as King pointed out, the movie’s level of terror isn’t affected by the humor.

Perkins, who lost both his parents in unexpected, tragic ways, brought his personal experience into The Monkey. As he previously revealed, the movie has an emphasis on “insane unexpected deaths” that may seem “impossible” and “undeserved,” but can happen to everyone. King’s comment further proves that the director brings something deeply personal to the genre. The Monkey not only has King’s seal of approval, but it manages to surprise the King of Horror.

Our Take On The Monkey’s Level of Horror

It’s Not That Scary, Actually

What haunts Stephen King may not haunt everyone. In the past, three movies have successfully scared the author, including The Blair Witch Project, The Haunting, and Night of the Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but all are probably not really that scary to most die-hard horror fans. The same can be said about The Monkey. It sounds scary, but it’s not, though King’s comment about the movie having inventive deaths and good humor are two points that can be taken to heart.

How scary The Monkey is largely depends on what is considered scary. The movie is not a parody, but it’s funny in its own way. The deaths are eerie and explosive, and those who enjoy Final Destination’s level of gore and intensity could have a great time. Essentially, every location and every prop is just another trap, quietly waiting for the prey to fall in.

Source: IGN