The Monkey's Bizarre Final Moments Demand A Closer Look

This post contains spoilers for "The Monkey."

After the immensely unhinged "Longlegs," Osgood Perkins' latest horror film is as wild as a barrel of monkeys, but what could elevate "The Monkey" to even greater levels of craziness can be found in its final moments. After two twin brothers have battled for decades over what to do with a wind-up monkey toy that's "basically Satan," things end in bloody, terrible fashion for "The Monkey," and continue to reach epically horrific proportions until the credits roll. When the brothers, Bill and Hal (both played by Theo James), finally make amends, their renewed bond is abruptly severed when the Monkey performs one last drum session, leading to an execution of a character that's so good, it deserves a place among the best "Final Destination" deaths.

From there, Hal and his son Petey (Colin O'Brien) head off down the open road, monkey in tow, as carnage ensues around them. The father and son have worked through some of their issues, fully embracing the idea that the object that's haunted their family for years will do so for a few years more. It's at this point that Hal sees a unique and bizarre sight that might have some audiences scratching their heads. It's a vision of a stranger that, in a world of extravagant, accidental exits and a monkey that terrifies people anytime it plays a drum, is frankly quite bizarre and perhaps even more disturbing than some of the things Hal and the audience have been privy to up to this point. It involves a man on a horse — a pale horse.

Driving with no destination and a monkey in the back seat, Hal and Petey stop at an empty crossroad. They both witness a jaw-dropping sight: An incredibly gray man riding a deathly gray horse. However, the important detail about this mode of transport is that the horse's mane appears to be made of plumes of smoke. Locking eyes with Hal, the horseman gives him a nod as he rides by, and neither father nor son verbally acknowledges what they've just seen.

While it's never stated outright, this strange wanderer in the film is the horseman of Death, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse and heralds of the end of the world as depicted in the Bible's Book of Revelation. The quote frequently referenced in popular culture (and one banger of a Johnny Cash song) comes from Revelation 6:8, which is written exactly as we see it on screen: "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and the name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

Hal's chilling sight may signify the end of days, but there could be more to it than that. This encounter with a stranger could be a personal revelation for our hero: He's a man without his twin brother, but he's gained a new perspective on life that, hopefully, his son will adopt in the years to come.

While some of the horrific deaths in Perkins' new film may be hilarious, the underlying message, just as in Stephen King's original short story that inspired the movie, is that death comes for us all. There's nothing we can do about it, no matter how hard Hal might struggle against it. Whether you call it random or part of a careful selection process, everyone will eventually reach the end of the line. It's a lesson that, after the boys' first funeral, their mother (Tatiana Maslany) tries to instill in her sons, but it only resonates with one of them decades later. Unfortunately, this realization comes far too late for Bill, but for Hal, finally accepting the cursed duty of keeping tabs on that monkey is a form of growth that will propel him forward.

Maybe that's why, after processing that revelation, a scary fella from a book full of them makes an appearance. By this point, Hal has entirely accepted Death, and seeing it manifest in the horseman slowly crossing his path is a strong symbol of letting it continue just as he will with his son. However, how much more he'll encounter in the future is unconfirmed. Given his brother's last failed attempt to kill Hal, there's a chance there might be a lot more on the way than he'd like and that the horseman of Death is a sign that we're reaching the end times to the beat of a monkey on the drums.

Before the deranged Bill got a good talking-to from Hal, he tried with all his might to make the monkey dance ... well, drum, to ensure his twin's demise. Even with all his strength, though, the monkey wouldn't bring down his arm, and it was only after Bill was flung across the room that the monkey went into an intense and lengthy percussion like never before. It's here where it gives one last song, ushering in the end of the world and some outrageous deaths to go with it.

There was a greater effort this time in what was a more extended solo than the sessions we'd heard before, and it's only when Hal and Petey drive away with the little chimp that we get a better idea of the ramifications. With fallen aircraft, baby carriages on fire, and businessman impaled by surfboards, it's obvious that the monkey has gone to work on the world, with no clear sign of when the death will stop. With the appearance of an apocalyptic messenger, this could very well be the literal end of the world. For now, all Hal and his son can do is drive until they reach the end of the road, with their cursed toy monkey metaphorically choosing the music for the road trip.