Theo James' horror movie The Monkey has been compared to Final Destination in rave first reactions.
From Longlegs director Osgood Perkins and based on a short story by Stephen King, The Monkey tells the story of twin brothers Hal and Bill (both played by James) as they reunite to vanquish a cursed toy monkey from their childhood.
The movie, which sees people meet their death in mysterious and inventive ways at the hands of the titular toy monkey, has received praise with multiple critics comparing the film to the Final Destination franchise.
Related: Longlegs is now available to watch on Prime Video#
Eric Goldman called the movie "a bloody blast", adding that the film took "a big shift away from Longlegs".
"'The Monkey' is a bloody blast. A big shift away from the feel of 'Longlegs,' the movie is a full on horror-comedy with Osgood Perkins having a ton of fun going into 'Final Destination' territory with one crazy-gory-twisted death after another," he wrote.
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Russ Milheim from The Direct said that Final Destination fans "will feel right at home", writing: "'The Monkey' is an absolutely wild, brutal dark comedy filled with aggressively creative deaths that’ll keep audiences glued to their seats laughing the whole time. Fans of 'Final Destination' will feel right at home,"
Related: Longlegs' Osgood Perkins responds to Silence of the Lambs comparison
Meanwhile, Mama's Geeky critic Tessa Smith also compared the new horror movie to Final Destination, describing The Monkey as "over the top in the very best way".
"I can't stop thinking about 'The Monkey.' It's like 'Final Destination' on crack. Over the top in the very best way. I can't wait to watch my friends watch it..."
Collider's Perri Nemiroff added: "The Monkey' is a super bloody blast! A nearly non-stop series of gleefully violent kill scenes that well earn every 'holy sh*t' response they got out of me. Loved how quickly Oz Perkins cements that this is a version of the Stephen King short story that’s uniquely his own."
The Monkey will be released in cinemas on February 21.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
