By leah jones
The Monkey (2025) is a horror movie based on the 1980 short story of the same name by Stephen King. It’s only had a theatrical release but will likely be available for streaming on Hulu and Apple TV+.
While being violent and chilling, The Monkey also blends comedy into its plot. Here is your ending explained to the complex plot of the film.
The film follows twin brothers, Bill and Hal, who inherited a cursed cymbal-banging monkey toy. The toy wreaks havoc on the young boys’ lives as it goes on a killing spree.
A young Hal turns the toy’s key in hopes that it will target Bill, but it instead kills their mother. The brothers then throw the toy down a well to try to stop the deaths.
Time passes and the estranged brothers reconnect as adults after the tragic death of their aunt. This leads to unpacked family issues and more loss.
The death of their mother caused Bill to want revenge on Hal. He hires someone to retrieve the monkey toy and plans to use it to kill Hal, despite the chaos it caused in the past.
Bill turns the toy’s key, hoping it will target Hal. However, the toy does not take requests and instead causes freakish unexplained deaths all around Bill.
After an intense standoff, the brothers end up reconciling when Hal apologizes for making an attempt on Bill’s life and in turn accidentally killing their mom.
The monkey suddenly causes one of Bill’s boobytraps for Hal to go off. Their mother’s bowling ball shoots through Bill’s head, ironically killing him after his pursuit for revenge.
A pale horse-rider locks eyes with Hal and his son then gallops away as they leave the town ravaged by random, horrific deaths. They vow to never turn the monkey’s key again.
Hal surviving despite all the senseless killing is strategic and ironic. So is Bill dying from his mother’s bowling ball after years of seeking revenge for her death.
Bill’s passing and the pale rider represent the unpredictability of death. The latter could also be interpreted as one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
This personification of Death hints that the monkey may not be confined by its toy form. It all ties into The Monkey’s overall message: death is not something to be played with.