There's something deliciously ironic about Osgood Perkins making his mark in horror. The son of Anthony Perkins – yes, Norman Bates himself – isn't just following in his father's footsteps; he's carving out his own bloody path through Hollywood's haunted halls. And if the trailer for “The Monkey” is any indication, he's doing it with a twisted grin.
Fresh off the success of “Longlegs,” which quietly amassed $75 million domestically (a feat that shouldn't be understated in our superhero-saturated marketplace), Perkins isn't just striking while the iron is hot – he's dousing it in gasoline and watching it burn. The R-rated trailer for “The Monkey,” based on a Stephen King short story, promises the kind of gleeful mayhem that made horror's golden age so memorable: faces engulfed in flames, bowling balls meeting skulls with sickening precision, and enough arterial spray to paint a house red.
But what's particularly fascinating is the tonal shift. While “Longlegs” apparently dwelled in dread, “The Monkey” seems to be dancing in the dark territory of horror-comedy, channeling the spirit of “An American Werewolf in London” and “Fright Night.” It's a bold move that suggests Perkins isn't content to be pigeonholed as just another “serious” horror director.
The cast itself speaks volumes about the project's ambitions. Theo James and Tatiana Maslany bring serious dramatic chops, while Elijah Wood's presence – given his track record with genre-bending films – feels like a stamp of approval for the film's more playful elements. The addition of emerging talents Christian Convery and Colin O'Brien suggests there's more here than just splatter and laughs.
What's truly intriguing is how Neon is positioning both the film and Perkins himself. They're clearly betting big on him, with not just “The Monkey” but also “Keeper” (another Maslany vehicle) waiting in the wings. It's the kind of sustained push that can transform a filmmaker from “interesting voice” to “must-watch auteur.”
Personal Impressions: The evolution of Perkins from the atmospheric dread of “The Blackcoat's Daughter” to what appears to be a more tonally adventurous filmmaker is fascinating. While some might see the gore and dark humor as a departure, I'd argue it's expansion rather than abandonment. The fact that test screening reports suggest he can make a toy monkey genuinely unnerving while still maintaining his signature sense of dread indicates a director who's growing without losing his core strengths.
How do you feel about horror directors moving between serious dread and dark comedy? Does the pedigree of being Anthony Perkins' son create unfair expectations for Osgood's work in the horror genre?
