The Monkey/Hard Truths

The Monkey

A seemingly harmless toy monkey appears in an old family attic and brings an unexpected twist to a man's life. It got quite a bit of buzz, but is it worth it? Meh…

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• The final scene of the movie was excellent. A great ending, in my opinion.

• Perkins deliberately embraces the camp approach — and pulls it off successfully.

• Directorially, even though it’s slow-burning, I liked it.

• If you’re into gore, there’s plenty.

• Although it’s a horror film, it takes a more complex and artistic approach, which I appreciated.

• Surprisingly, I liked the whole cast’s performances.

• Great soundtrack.

• The monkey is a bit creepy.

• Practical effects are always welcome.

• There’s sarcasm and allegory — even if used a bit superficially — that give the viewer a second layer of interpretation.

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• Overall, it falls short of expectations.

• Personally, in horror films, when there’s too much humor, it doesn’t “work” for me — but that’s a subjective thing.

• It has a slow pace, so it might tire some people.

• The characters aren’t well-developed and feel a bit one-dimensional.

• Though also a positive, the camp style makes some deaths feel cartoonish.

• Don’t expect to be scared — but maybe that’s not the point here.

• The finale lacks the dramatic punch you’d expect.

Hard Truths

Pansy isn’t pleased with anything. She’s agoraphobic, a hypochondriac, paranoid about everything, and constantly clashing with everyone. Despite her initial resistance, she agrees to visit her mother’s grave with her sister on Mother’s Day. A character drama — is it worth your attention?

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• Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a standout performance as a woman gripped by obsessive fear.

• The whole cast does a really solid job acting-wise.

• A psychological portrait of human nature that I think will move a portion of the audience.

• The emotional dead ends of the main character — namely depression — are portrayed with a realism and directness that stand out.

• Beautiful cinematography.

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• It’s low-key, and that might not sit well with everyone.

• Narratively, it could have used more intensity and better pacing.

• The ending is ambiguous (can’t spoil it).

• It left me with a sense of incompleteness. Weird.