The Monkey King

Right now you can watch The Monkey King in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 350 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it for Jimmy O. Yang — stay for everyone else around them. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

The Monkey King is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Monkey King gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. A stick-wielding monkey teams with a young girl on an epic quest for immortality, battling demons, dragons, gods — and his own ego — along the way. Jimmy O. Yang and Bowen Yang lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It was released in 2023. The timing in The Monkey King is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, The Monkey King is a strong candidate. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Jimmy O. Yang anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.