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The Monkey
Movie

The Monkey

2025 • Horror

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father's old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.

Overall Series Review

The film focuses on a classic supernatural horror premise involving twin brothers Hal and Bill and a cursed toy monkey that causes random, gruesome deaths. The narrative is primarily driven by psychological horror, trauma, and the estranged relationship between the twin brothers, particularly Hal's attempt to protect his son from the family curse. The story explores the thematic idea that death is indiscriminate and inevitable, a core element of the horror genre. The setting and aesthetic rely on traditional family and genre tropes without engaging in overt political or social commentary. The conflict is intensely personal and familial, centered on the main male protagonist's struggle with his past and his antagonist twin.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The central conflict exists between two white twin brothers and is driven by personal guilt, familial trauma, and a cursed object. Characters are judged by their actions and relationship to the curse, not by immutable characteristics or race. The main cast is overwhelmingly white, and the narrative contains no mention of systemic oppression, privilege, or forced insertion of diversity.

Oikophobia2/10

The film is a traditional American horror story adapted from Stephen King, centering on a dysfunctional family and a literal curse. The themes focus on accepting the 'random cruelty of the world' and enduring personal trauma, not hostility toward Western civilization or national heritage. Institutions like family are shown as broken, but the driving action involves a father trying to protect his son, suggesting a defense of the family unit, albeit a troubled one.

Feminism2/10

The core of the narrative is the strained relationship between the twin brothers and Hal's desire to save his young son. The main female figure, the mother Lois, is killed off relatively early and is described as cynical. Hal's ex-wife and her new husband are shown attempting to adopt his son, presenting a male protagonist fighting for his role as a father. There is no presence of a 'Girl Boss' trope or lecturing on anti-natalism; instead, the plot focuses on masculinity and protection.

LGBTQ+1/10

The plot contains no elements of alternative sexualities being centered, nor does it include any messaging on gender ideology. The family structure presented, while troubled and estranged, adheres to the traditional male-female pairing (Hal's relationship with his ex-wife and new partner, the deceased parents, the aunt and uncle). Sexuality and gender identity are not narrative drivers.

Anti-Theism3/10

The conflict is based on a literal cursed toy monkey, making the source of evil supernatural and occult rather than a critique of organized religion. The film’s theme suggests the world is arbitrary and death is inevitable, which is an element of existential horror, but this does not translate into specific anti-Christian or anti-theistic lecturing. The appearance of a minor character, a 'Rookie Priest,' has no noted negative ideological representation in the plot details.