The Monkey
A seemingly harmless toy monkey appears in an old family attic and brings an unexpected twist to a man's life. It got quite a bit of buzz, but is it worth it? Meh…
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The final scene of the movie was excellent. A great ending, in my opinion.
Perkins deliberately embraces the camp approach — and pulls it off successfully.
Directorially, even though it’s slow-burning, I liked it.
If you’re into gore, there’s plenty.
Although it’s a horror film, it takes a more complex and artistic approach, which I appreciated.
Surprisingly, I liked the whole cast’s performances.
Great soundtrack.
The monkey is a bit creepy.
Practical effects are always welcome.
There’s sarcasm and allegory — even if used a bit superficially — that give the viewer a second layer of interpretation.
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Overall, it falls short of expectations.
Personally, in horror films, when there’s too much humor, it doesn’t “work” for me — but that’s a subjective thing.
It has a slow pace, so it might tire some people.
The characters aren’t well-developed and feel a bit one-dimensional.
Though also a positive, the camp style makes some deaths feel cartoonish.
Don’t expect to be scared — but maybe that’s not the point here.
The finale lacks the dramatic punch you’d expect.
Hard Truths
Pansy isn’t pleased with anything. She’s agoraphobic, a hypochondriac, paranoid about everything, and constantly clashing with everyone. Despite her initial resistance, she agrees to visit her mother’s grave with her sister on Mother’s Day. A character drama — is it worth your attention?
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Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a standout performance as a woman gripped by obsessive fear.
The whole cast does a really solid job acting-wise.
A psychological portrait of human nature that I think will move a portion of the audience.
The emotional dead ends of the main character — namely depression — are portrayed with a realism and directness that stand out.
Beautiful cinematography.
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It’s low-key, and that might not sit well with everyone.
Narratively, it could have used more intensity and better pacing.
The ending is ambiguous (can’t spoil it).
It left me with a sense of incompleteness. Weird.
