‘You slime. You filth. I’m gonna take you apart…’
Legendary horror director George A. Romero is so synonymous with the Night of the Living Dead franchise that his other work is often forgotten. Aside from zombies, Romero also dabbled in vampires (Martin), anthology horror (Creepshow) and a Stephen King adaptation (The Dark Half). As it was the ’80s, Romero also entered the murky world of monkeys on screen. The result is Monkey Shines, and yes, it’s mental…
Following an accident, law student and athlete Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) is paralysed and consigned to a wheelchair. Faced with this grim situation, Allan does what any self-respecting man would do and hires a trained monkey to help him perform everyday tasks. Unfortunately, this supposed horror film is slightly undermined by the fact that the monkey is absolutely adorable. Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci and Kate McNeil provide able support, while Romero also hilariously casts his wife Christine as a nagging shrew of a nurse. Lovely stuff.
As with much of Romero’s work, there is more happening under the surface than it initially appears. While the monkey is admittedly a murderous lunatic, he is made that way due to the intervention of man. Who is the real monster? While this question goes back to King Kong or even Frankenstein, it’s classily presented here, and despite the off-the-wall premise, Romero’s competent camera work and Beghe’s nuanced performance help to keep the film grounded. It’s also surprising how sensitively Allan’s disability is handled considering the fact the film was released in 1988. Lastly, it would be remiss of me not to mention the moment in which the monkey vindictively urinates in Allan’s lap. Exceptional cinema.
Monkey Shines is a curio that would surely be better best forgotten if not for the steady hand of Romero behind the camera – an odd premise elevated by the talent involved.