The Monkey

The Monkey has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Hulu and Kanopy. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 1,377 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Theo James is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Monkey earns its spot. The Monkey gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy. Between them, Theo James and Tatiana Maslany carry the comedy without ever forcing it. The Monkey came out in 2025. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and The Monkey holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

The Monkey is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Theo James's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.