Oz Perkins’ supernatural horror The Monkey delivers some of the genre’s most gruesome deaths in recent times. Adapted from Stephen King’s 1980 short story, the movie centers around a cursed mechanical monkey that triggers gruesome deaths whenever it beats its drum. As Perkins rightly puts it, The Monkey has its fair share of decapitations, disembowelment, electrocutions, infestation, evisceration, implements, and any known method of death the genre has ever seen or thought of.
What makes the deaths in The Monkeys so disturbing isn’t just their graphic nature; they leave behind a lingering sense of dread. Each scene is meticulously crafted to maximize fear, whether through unsettling buildup or grotesque aftermaths. While some deaths stand out for their sheer brutality, others are terrifying because of their psychological weight. Here’s a ranking of the most horrifying deaths in Oz Perkins’ The Monkey.
7. The Decapitation of Annie Wilkes
Early on in The Monkey, audiences are introduced to the toy monkey’s malevolency with the antique shop owner’s death by a harpoon gun. However, Annie Wilkes’ death set the pace and direction of the film. After the young twin brothers Hal and Bill (Christian Convery) discover the toy monkey in their father’s belongings, they acknowledge its sinister power after it kills their babysitter, Annie Wilkes (Danica Dreyer). In the evening of the same day they found the monkey, the twins, and their babysitter visit a hibachi-style restaurant. The chef, trying to impress Annie Wilkes with his knife skills, accidentally decapitates her. To add to the horror, Annie Wilkes’ severed head lands on the hot griddle and begins to fry right in front of the twins.
6. Swimming Pool Death
While it’s not entirely new to the horror genre, it is one of The Monkey’s most gruesome deaths because it wasn’t even targeted at a main or supporting character. Having narrowly missed the falling air conditioner, Hal (played by Theo James) watched in horror as a naked live wire connected to a puddle, electrifying the motel’s swimming pool. An innocent lady looking for a late-night dip jumps into the supercharged pool. As horrific as her death, coupled with the fact that audiences never even got to know the lady, it helped Hal confirm the toy monkey was back in play.
5. Realtor’s Shotgun Death
In The Monkey, the realtor, Barbara (Tess Degenstein), meets a particularly gruesome end. Her death underscores The Monkey’s blend of horror and dark humor. While showing Hall around his old home, Barbara attempts to unlock a closet door. Despite Hal’s warnings, she persists, inadvertently triggering a shotgun that seems rigged as a trap. The shotgun blast obliterates her body, with a piece of her finger landing inside Hal’s mouth.
4. Bill’s Death
Although gruesome, Bill Shelburn’s (also played by Theo James) death is one many audiences found relishing. It was karma at its finest. Bill’s obsession with the toy monkey led to the death of several innocent residents of the town. After reconciling with his twin brother, Hal, the monkey activates one of Bill’s own booby traps. A bowling ball (ironically, the same instrument Hal had imagined killing Bill with when they were younger) falls into his head and squashes his entire head to a pulp. Although the brothers had escaped death for over 25 years, Bill triggered the monkey toy to come after him after forcing it to beat its drum just to target Hal.
3. Uncle Chip’s Death
In The Monkey, Uncle Chip’s death is particularly gruesome due to its unexpected and violent nature. Director Oz Perkins played the character Uncle Chip, who was introduced after the death of Hal and Bill’s mother. Uncle Chip’s death occurred while on a hunting trip, where he was trampled to death by a stampede of horses. The aftermath is so horrific that the scene isn’t shown but largely implied. The stampede occurs while Uncle Chip sleeps in his sleeping bag.
2. Ricky
Ricky (Rohan Campbell) may have only been a supporting character in The Monkey, but his death is one of the film’s unique and gruesome deaths. The character Ricky, who’s the son of one of the town’s police officers, is recruited by Bill to retrieve the toy monkey. After Hal’s son, Petey (Colin O’Brien), is forced by Bill to operate the monkey, Ricky is killed. After kidnapping Hal and Petey, Ricky holds Hal hostage in the car. A wasp nest falls into the car, with a swarm of wasps flying into Ricky’s mouth. The bees bite and chew through Ricky’s mouth and jaws. The scenes’ graphic depiction leaves audiences in shock.
1. Aunt Ida’s Death
Topping the list of The Monkey’s most gruesome deaths is that of Aunt Ida (Sarah Levy). Unlike others whose deaths were relatively straightforward, Aunt Ida suffered a series of painful mishaps before her final death. Aunt Ida is awoken by the monkey’s ominous drumming. Paranoid, she investigates the noise in her home, armed with a gun.
Her ordeal begins when she falls through faulty stairs, landing on boxes filled with fishing hooks and lures. Almost all, if not all, of the hooks embed painfully into her face. Attempting to treat her injuries, Aunt Ida perceives a gas leak and goes to investigate. With her face close to the burner, it explodes, setting her head ablaze (think Ghost Rider!). Confused, and in an attempt to extinguish the flames, she stumbles outside. She accidentally gets her foot stuck and impales her face on the sharp edge of a “Home For Sale” sign.
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