THE MONKEY

(15) 98mins

★★★☆☆

HE’S the king of horror writing – and so far more than 50 movies have been adapted from Stephen King’s stories.

The latest to get the big- screen treatment is The Monkey, starring The Gentleman’s Theo James.

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It tells the story of twin brothers who find their father’s toy monkey in the attic — before a series of strange deaths happen.

The toy is so creepy it’s a surprise it has taken so long for this creation from 1980 to hit cinemas.

When the ape is wound up it bursts into a disturbing grin before beating its drum with one drumstick and twiddling the other.

Once this moment of devilish percussion begins, someone will die.

And die horribly. Really horribly.

Guts are unravelled or pulped, while rooms are redecorated with flesh, body parts and gallons of blood.

All of this is done with a knowing, comical wink by director Osgood Perkins, who made last year’s hit horror Longlegs.

The Monkey meets what is clearly a strong desire from cinemagoers for very dark humour, judging by the success of recent releases Heart Eyes and Companion.

When these gags are timed correctly, with the audience being in on the means of death before it happens, there are significant laughs.

There is also an amusingly incompetent clergyman who talks about “separation issues” during a victim’s funeral.

But a lot of the comic demises are rushed and The Monkey quickly loses its ability to shock.

The film is better at the start, when the impressive 15-year-old Christian Convery plays both truly fearful twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn.

The tension goes, though, once we get to a grown-up Hal and Bill (both James), because they are largely nonchalant about witnessing “freak accidents”.

A lot of time is also spent on Hal’s relationship issues with his estranged son Petey (Colin O’Brien), which makes the running time feel longer than it is.

There are, however, some fun cameos from Severance’s Adam Scott, Schitt’s Creek star Sarah Levy and Lord Of The Rings’ Elijah Wood.

But The Monkey has little resemblance to the original story and filmmakers might be better off at least trying to ape King’s winning style.

GRANT ROLLING

SEPTEMBER SAYS

(18) 100mins

★★☆☆☆

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IN this BBC Films drama, September is the domineering sibling of shy and often bullied July.

The super-close teens are dressed in identical clothes by their photographer mum, cycle to school on the same bike and make animal noises while watching reality TV.

But, weirdly, September (Pascale Kann) asks July (Mia Tharia) things like: “If I die, will you?”

Troubles at school come to a head after the quiet sister starts sharing texts with a boy she fancies.

This leads to the family decamping from England to Northern Ireland, where the behaviour just gets odder.

This film doesn’t seem to know whether it wants to be a kitchen-sink drama, a psychological thriller or a surreal horror.

Director Ariane Labed seems to have thrown in a load of ideas, many of them unoriginal, to see what sticks.

Why Mum Sheela (Rakhee Thakrar) has to be in the soulless sex scene, complete with squidgy sound effects, earning this an 18 certificate, is beyond me.

I’d say no matter which month it is, very little about this small-budget movie is worth following.

GRANT ROLLINGS

I’M STILL HERE

(15) 138mins

★★★★☆

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BRAZILIAN Fernanda Torres won a Golden Globe for her lead performance in this and I wouldn’t bet against an Oscar to follow.

In this subtitled true-life film she plays Eunice Paiva, whose husband Rubens opposed the right-wing dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 until 1985.

The film begins in 1970 with some of the couple’s five children playing happily on the beach at Rio de Janeiro before returning to home.

In the background, dark undercurrents of political unrest build, with military roadblocks, kidnappings and secretive talks between Rubens and his friends.

I won’t give too much away, but Rubens and Eunice are unable to escape the despotic rulers.

Fernanda’s subtle turn from mum to tough campaigner will keep you gripped.

The stoical Eunice didn’t want to be part of the struggle, but won’t turn from the fight.

Fernanda’s mum, Fernanda Montenegro, who was Oscar-nominated in 1998 for hit Central Station, makes a moving cameo as a much older Eunice.

I’m Still Here is a powerful drama which resonates with current events.

GRANT ROLLINGS