In the warped new horror-comedy “The Monkey” (in theaters), Theo James plays Hal and Bill, estranged twin brothers who are besieged by a possessed music-making monkey toy they got under gruesome circumstances when they were boys. Once that little monkey starts a tinny rat-tat-tat on his drum, nobody’s safe.
Based on a Stephen King short story, the gory film is the latest project from the writer-director Osgood Perkins, whose macabre filmography includes last year’s “Longlegs.”
Earlier this month during a video interview, James said that the toy, which looks like a maniac and is known among collectors as a Jolly Chimp, was one of his frequent scene partners. Distancing himself from the chimp’s unnerving stare was a tough order.
“It was creepy enough to the point where, with some of my daughter’s toys in her room, I’m like, is that thing looking at me?” James said, with an uneasy smile that suggested he wasn’t entirely joking.
If his literally-a-model looks are familiar, it may be because he has appeared across acting disciplines: the “Divergent” films; the second season of “The White Lotus” on HBO; the London stage. Down the road are roles in “The Hole,” a film from the director Kim Jee-Woon — “Misery” meets “Parasite” is how James described it — and the second season of “The Gentlemen,” Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series.
As a rainy London sky peeked through the window at his back, James, who is British, talked about what’s so funny — and so political — about his new movie, and that damn monkey. The interview has been edited and condensed.
What drew you to this project?
Oz [Perkins, the writer-director] is an incredibly astute writer, very confident. When I heard he was doing an adaptation of “The Monkey,” and I heard who was involved, even before I’d read it I was excited. It’s super dark and a bit of an exploration of parental history and trauma. Beneath the fun of it, there’s an existential conversation about how trauma follows you. I said: Sign me up.
It’s also funny.
You can’t take a story about a toy monkey murdering people too seriously. What I love about Oz is that he makes you touch on a truth or a sentimentality, and then he steers you away from it. Oz said in our first meeting [“The Monkey”] is Zemeckis meets “Gremlins.” It’s hyper-realized.
Playing twins must be juicy for an actor.
It’s a great thing to do, but it’s more complex than you might think. You don’t want to overstudy what you’re going to do because that’s the antithesis of naturalism. We wanted to play them as identical twins but completely different as possible. Hal is kind of a vague moral center. He’s got a hyper-dry wit, a straight guy. Bill is a maniac. He’s power hungry, but like a little boy that never had his father around. Playing those opposite things was a joy.
Do you think horror can be a comfort during difficult personal or political times?
I’m not sure about comforting, but certainly an interesting reflection of the cultural moment. I think that’s true with “The Monkey,” this idea of anyone can die at any time and you have no control over that. Politically we’re in a space where things change on a dime, whether the war in Ukraine or a massive change in the political sphere globally, a move to the right not just in the U.S. but across Europe and many places.
With “The Monkey,” it’s an exercise in realizing that humanity has less control than perhaps we like to think we do. The one thing we all have in common is we have a short time on this earth. Chaos may be part of existence. Understanding that gives us some sense of strange warmth.
You have a pretty flawless American accent. How did you make that happen?
You need to put the work in, otherwise it sounds false. It’s muscular, the American accent. Resonance and projection are forward, like it’s part of the American dream. Anyone can do anything! Britishism is an “oh it’s OK, don’t worry, darling” kind of thing. Vowel sounds are more swallowed and resonance is less.
You know, I had a monkey toy as a kid.
You did?
I did. It was scary. Why do you think that is?
It’s the unblinking eyes, the lipless mouth, the teeth. It smiled [in the film]. It had a still face, then a leering face, then a devilish, full-psychopath grin face, which was quite useful.
I think there’s something primal about a primate. They’re seemingly friendly, and we have a feeling that we are connected evolutionarily to them. But they’re also much more powerful and dangerous and unexpected than we think they are.
It’s a creepy toy.
It’s a creepy [expletive] toy.
