Director Osgood Perkins discusses the inclusion of the Pale Rider in The Monkey. The film, based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name, follows twin brothers when they end up in the possession of a wind-up monkey, causing a series of deaths that estrange their family. Twenty-five years later, another massacre begins, forcing the brothers to confront the cursed monkey. The Pale Rider refers to Revelation 6:8, the fourth horseman in the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation, which represents death and disease. The Monkey premiered to generally favorable reviews, now standing with a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score.
During a recent interview with IGN, Perkins shared that as the film reached its climax, he felt it was only fitting to bring in the Pale Rider, portrayed by stunt coordinator Danny Virtue. He explained that, as the film’s narrative became increasingly absurd, he felt compelled to embrace the chaos. He described the decision as a natural extension of the film’s unhinged reality and emphasized that once the boundaries had been pushed so far, the inclusion of such a mythological figure was inevitable. Check out his comments below:
“I go for some of the wacky sh-t that’s in the Bible. There’s some crazy sh-t in the Bible. There’s just some good free language, right? I just got towards the end and I was like, ‘I think I should probably just go for it.’ At this point we’ve reached such levels of absurdity we might as well just drag the pale rider out and show him and have him be a part of the universe, because all bets are off. We’ve created this unhinged reality, let’s bring mythos into it.
It’s just like a perfect name for the quintessential Vancouver cowboy. To have him come out and do death for us was pretty special.”
What This Means For The Monkey
Perkins’ Limits For The Monkey Were Boundless
The Pale Rider’s appearance introduces biblical symbolism in The Monkey and marks a point in the film where the bizarre has been fully embraced. Perkins’s previous films, such as The Blackcoat’s Daughter and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, similarly took a less conventional approach to horror and favored atmosphere and unpredictability. Moreover, Virtue’s casting as the Pale Rider helps ground the film’s biblical element within its bizarre universe. Virtue, a stunt coordinator, was selected by Perkins for his distinctive “quintessential Vancouver cowboy” vibe.
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The Monkey: Who Is On The Horse At The End & What It Means
In a horror film filled with elaborate, gruesome deaths, Osgood Perkins’s The Monkey had an especially bizarre ending with Death appearing on a horse.
Throughout the film, viewers are routinely introduced to bizarre and unsettling imagery, such as the unsettling supernatural entity linked to the monkey toy, or the extravagant deaths that include multi-stage electrocutions or horse stampedes. Because of this, Perkins’ choice to pull in a biblical figure didn’t fall short of the ridiculousness. The Pale Rider doesn’t just show up for dramatic effect because his existence in the film reflects a commitment to pushing creative boundaries, much like the strange occurrences that pepper the story.
Our Take On Perkins’ Reveal Of The Pale Rider
Perkins Took A Big Narrative Chance For The Monkey, And It Has Paid Off So Far
The inclusion of the Pale Rider in The Monkey feels like the natural culmination of the film’s absurd narrative. By leaning into biblical imagery and figures, Perkins challenges the expectations of a typical horror film, opting instead to blur the line between the supernatural and the surreal. With surreal moments already embedded in the story, like the disturbing entity tied to the ancient artifact, the Pale Rider’s appearance feels fitting. The director’s commitment to not holding back on the bizarre seems to be what makes The Monkey so compelling.
Source: IGN
The Monkey
6/10
- Release Date
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February 19, 2025
- Runtime
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98 Minutes
- Director
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Osgood Perkins
- Writers
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Osgood Perkins
- Producers
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John Rickard, Natalia Safran, Ali Jazayeri, Chris Ferguson, Fred Berger, Giuliana Bertuzzi, James Wan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, John Friedberg, Jason Cloth, David Gendron, Michael Clear, Jesse Savath, Peter Luo, Dave Caplan