Horror-Comedies can be a crapshoot which is more or less how I felt about this. The only part hat I latched onto was the impressively creative and visceral gore that's laced in. But ultimately, The Monkey suffers from taking itself too seriously. It's not maximalist enough to get away with it, and it's not nearly funny enough to distract from the numerous cringeworthy, fake deep moments. Very little about this stuck with me upon leaving the theater.

I mean at least it's got originality.
Sure, it's questionably acted and ultimately preposterous, but the premise alone is enough to give it some gas. The finale was one big "oh shit" moment. However, the angle seemed like a giant missed opportunity. Frankly, I would've rather seen a small group of swingers murder swarms of winy conservatives in creative, BDSM-oriented ways than what we ended up with here.

Maybe I was just in a good mood, but I had no business enjoying this as much as I did. There's a talking animal, a terminally ill child and a dose of schmaltz; all triggering things for me. Against all that, the originality is off the charts and the two leads totally slaughter their respective roles. The whirlwind of emotions I felt toward Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character was insane, and the ending was a nice full circle moment. The paternal emotion is there, but it's never disgustingly heavy-handed. As far as sentimental, emotional dramas featuring terminal illness are concerned, this is as good as it gets.

The fact that this short, which is 97% young children, emotionally touched me, a guy who actively avoids kids of all ages at all times, is a feat. The support these students had for each other with impact the coldest soul. There's also so much to discuss regarding the cultural differences on display here. These instructors are really building up the youth, and it's impressive to say the least.