So, I’m scrolling through a grainy YouTube upload of some forgotten 90s commercial break, right? A clunky VHS-era spot pops up, promising a tale of a boy and his pet monkey—starring none other than Fred Savage, the kid from The Wonder Years. I was half-asleep, then suddenly I sat bolt upright, whispering, “Wait, that film actually existed?”
That grainy trailer was for The Wizard of Speed and Time? No. It was for a straight-to-video oddity called The Monkey (1992). And I bet you forgot it, too. It’s a weird little nugget of 90s nostalgia that feels like a fever dream you had after eating a gas-station burrito.
The Setup: A Boy, a Chimp, and a Whole Lot of Troubled Vibe
The movie is based on a Stephen King short story, which you do remember. But King’s version is a chilling tale of a cursed monkey toy. Fred Savage’s version? They swapped the creepy wind-up toy for a real, live monkey. Because why be subtle when you can have a primate running around scaring people?
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The plot follows 12-year-old Hal (Savage) on a family vacation to visit his weird aunt. He discovers an old monkey figurine in the attic. But again—not a figurine. In this movie, it’s an actual simian that seems to cause freak accidents.
Side note: I’m 90% sure the monkey was played by a bored chimp who just wanted a banana. You can see it in his eyes.
The Cast & The Weird Choices
Fred Savage is fine. He does his typical “wholesome kid with a hint of panic” shtick. But the real star is the monkey itself. This chimp has more screen presence than half the human cast. It glares. It points. It knocks things off shelves with the passive-aggressive energy of a cat who knows you’re late with dinner.
Then there’s Aunt Margaret, played by Megan Millar. She delivers every line like she’s in a completely different movie—a dark, existential drama about loneliness. And her character hears the monkey’s thoughts as a whispering voice. Yep. The monkey monologues. It basically says, “I’m evil. Fear me.” But it sounds like a disgruntled accountant. The irony is thick.
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The Tone: Seriously, What Were They Thinking?
The movie has a strange problem: it can’t decide if it’s a kid-friendly spooker or a genuine horror. One scene has a character’s death treated with a light score. The next, Fred Savage is crying over a dead pet clownfish. Wait, no—a dead dog? It’s all very muddy.
You see, The Monkey was originally a TV movie, but it got the straight-to-video boot. And it shows. The special effects are basically a monkey in a sweater and some goofy cuts. The monkey’s “magic” is just it pointing at a shelf, then we get a cheap crash sound effect. Peak 90s low-budget wizardry.
The One Scene You Actually Might Remember
There’s a scene where the monkey plays Russian roulette with a revolver. I am not making this up. The monkey picks up a gun, spins the chamber, and points it at people. It’s played for laughs? For tension? Nobody knows. It’s just a chimp with a firearm. It’s so bonkers that you can’t look away.
That scene is the only reason this movie has a cult following. People share the GIF on social media and say, “Remember when Fred Savage fought a gun-toting monkey?” And everyone else squints and nods, unsure if they dreamed it.
Why Did We Forget This Movie?
Because it’s lost in the void of 90s kid-horror. It came out the same year as Hocus Pocus and The Addams Family Values. Those movies had budgets, charm, and Bette Midler. The Monkey had a chimp who looked like he was unionizing for more snacks.
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Also, the King short story is way better. If you read it, you get the real chills. The movie feels like a pale imitation—a cover band playing the hits wrong. And yet, there’s something delightful about its failure.
Is It Worth the Watch Today?
If you’re a fan of so-bad-it’s-good cinema, absolutely. Grab a pizza, gather some friends, and put it on. You’ll spend the whole runtime pointing at the screen and shouting, “Did that monkey just wink?” Because he does. More than once. It’s unsettling and hilarious.
Just be warned: the ending is a total cop-out. The monkey is defeated by a giant magnet? No, I won’t spoil it. But it involves a very long trip to a cliff and a lot of screaming. You’ll either groan or laugh until you cry.
A Final Thought on the Forgotten Chimp
So, next time you’re digging through a bargain bin at a thrift store, look for a VHS tape with a terrifying monkey face on the cover. That’s the one. Pick it up, marvel at the faded font, and remember: Fred Savage once fought a monkey with a soul. And we all tuned out.
But hey, at least the monkey had more charisma than the average 90s sitcom dog. That’s something, right? For real, check it out. It’s weird, it’s broken, and it’s absolutely unforgettable once you’ve seen it. I promise you, you won’t forget it again.