Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The Monkey!The Monkey‘s ending was shocking, but Tatiana Maslany (Lois) believes that it was also perfect. Based on a Stephen King story, the movie follows two brothers and an evil toy monkey as it kills everyone around them. The Monkey has earned many exceptional reviews, which praise its unique mix of humor and horror, and is already frequently likened to the Final Destination franchise, as every death is both gory and hilarious. The death at the end is especially pointed, with Bill (Theo James) being killed by his mother’s bowling ball.
In an interview with Total Film for the movie’s release, Maslany explains exactly what made The Monkey‘s ending work so well. Given that Bill spent so many years despising Hal because of Lois’ death, her involvement in the former’s demise is especially relevant, as she believes that it is “not a revenge” but an “inevitability“, as the weight on Bill’s shoulders became a literal weight. Check out her quote below:
There’s something funny about her popping up at that moment – the senselessness of it. It’s, like, this idea of the heavy weight of the things that we carry with us. Lois was such a weight on Bill in all of the ways. She embodied everything that he missed and lost and everything. So it makes sense that… yeah, like, it’s not a revenge, it’s just… inevitability, maybe? And it’s like an object, and it’s like “a perfect score”. There’s something about all of those things that is so wrong. It’s so wrong, and I think that’s why it’s so right.
What The Monkey’s Ending Means
Bill’s Death Is Extremely Ironic
Every death in The Monkey is bizarre in some way or another, ranging from a pawn store owner being killed by a harpoon, Lois suffering an unexplained aneurysm while baking, and Aunt Ida being lit on fire after falling on fishhooks. Compared to that, being killed by a rogue balling ball seems par for the course. Still, the thematic meaning behind Bill’s death is what makes it so impactful, as, rather than dying by random means, Bill was killed because he refused to listen to his mother. He attempted to control death, and it meant a gruesome end.
Bill and Hal were both played by Theo James.
Lois always wanted her children to enjoy their lives, and while her brutal death may have traumatized Bill, she always wanted to see him as nothing more than a happy man. By obsessing over her demise and attempting to kill his own brother, Bill fails to fulfill her dreams. The weight of her death was always on his mind, so it was only natural that the weight would eventually be his undoing in The Monkey‘s ending, because just as he managed to escape his inner turmoil, that burden gave him one last moment of suffering.
Our Take On The Monkey’s Shocking Ending
The Ending Is Fitting But Odd
The message of The Monkey largely emphasizes that death is not avoidable. Few deaths have any thematic meaning, as they all generally come abruptly and without explanation. Bill’s death is an exception, as his horrific ending is directly related to his decisions. Though Maslany insists that it was “inevitability“, rather than revenge, it feels uniquely pointed, as his demise twists a message that once described death as an inescapable reality, but instead proved something deeper. Anyone attempting to avoid death will only meet it early, and that message is far more interesting and makes for a better movie.
Source: Total Film
