Recently, the film industry has produced more horror movies featuring possessed or evil toys that come to life and kill people. While these films are all structured on the same premise, “The Monkey” takes a different approach, using dark comedy to distinguish itself from other horror movies.

Before “The Monkey” was released in theaters, many seemed to find it more serious than it turned out to be. While the movie has some frightening parts, it is primarily a dark comedy that fits with the plot but confuses many viewers about its purpose and genre.

Osgood Perkins, known for his recent horror film “Long Legs,” has taken a unique turn with his second horror film. Inspired by Stephen King’s short story “The Monkey,” he approached the movie with comedy as his focus. As a result, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The movie follows twins who find a possessed wind-up monkey from their absent father. One of the boys finds out that turning the key triggers the toy to play its drum and randomly kill someone. After a few deaths from the demonic wind-up toy, they decide to throw it down a well and move on with their lives. Over time, the boys grow apart.

The expressive death scenes are the highlight of the movie and the source of its comedy. The many death scenes were similar to those in the “Final Destination” movies but with less tension, helping to identify the film’s purpose as a funny, over-the-top splatter movie.

Compared to his last movie, “Long Legs,” where the actors were serious and the atmosphere was disturbing and intense, “The Monkey” was quite the opposite. With how ridiculous this movie was, the characters’ reactions were hilarious. Many of their actions in the film made no sense, but were acted so well they softened the intensity of some of the more violent scenes.

On the other hand, this movie isn’t one that I would replay as I won’t laugh as hard, but it is worth watching. The CGI and special effects make the movie more humorous. Although it could bother others, as horror movies rarely get as gory as “The Monkey,” its violence makes the movie more significant.

Despite being another film about a kid’s toy, “The Monkey” differs from the rest in that it is a dark comedy that tells its story through a series of grisly deaths. Perkins’ second film is a splatter movie that may confuse viewers, but it is well-regarded in the horror community and provides plenty of laughs.