What Mike Flanagan Can Learn from The Monkey About Adapting Stephen King Works

Summary

The film adaptation of The Monkey diverged sharply from its source material, resulting in a tonal mismatch that disappointed many viewers.
Mike Flanagan must observe the errors made in The Monkey to effectively capture Stephen King’s unique voice in his adaptations.
It’s essential for Flanagan to honor King’s storytelling style and thematic depth in his upcoming adaptation of The Dark Tower.

Renowned filmmaker Mike Flanagan has earned accolades for his adept handling of Stephen King’s narratives, successfully bringing depth and psychological intricacies to the screen in works like Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game. Yet, as he embarks on the ambitious project of adapting The Dark Tower, he faces a critical lesson drawn from a recent misstep: The Monkey.

The Monkey Went In The Wrong Direction

This adaptation was meant to delve deep into horror, encapsulating themes of supernatural dread and psychological terror. However, under Osgood Perkins’ direction, the film veered off course. Instead of embracing its chilling roots, the narrative morphed into a confusing blend of absurdity, dark humor, and excessive gore.

Despite Perkins’ prior success with unsettling horror films like I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and Gretel & Hansel, his approach to The Monkey perplexed many viewers. The film infused humor and quirky character interactions that were profoundly at odds with the original story’s striking horror elements.

The takeaway is clear: overly altering the tone in a Stephen King adaptation can lead to significant missteps. Fans crave psychological depth, escalating tension, and an authentic sense of horror. The Monkey serves as a cautionary tale that drifting too far from these foundational aspects can result in failure.

Additionally, the film’s pacing and narrative coherence left audiences dissatisfied. Unlike the original short story’s gradual build-up of horror, this adaptation displayed erratic storytelling, which often interrupted the suspense with comedic interludes that detracted from the intended fear.

Flanagan, having already shown an understanding of King’s thematic elements, must reflect on The Monkey’s shortcomings as he prepares for The Dark Tower. This adaptation stands as one of his most daring ventures, particularly because King’s expansive fantasy-horror saga has long stymied successful translation into visual media.

Directed By	Osgood Perkins
Screenplay By	Osgood Perkins
Starring	Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott, Elijah Wood

Flanagan achieved great success with Doctor Sleep by skillfully respecting both King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, creating a fusion that honored both stories while infusing his unique directorial style. He must adopt a similar strategy with The Dark Tower, balancing creative adaptability in the television format with fidelity to King’s intricate world-building and character development.

If The Monkey exemplifies what to avoid, then Doctor Sleep demonstrates how to effectively navigate adaptations. Rather than distorting The Dark Tower’s core elements, Flanagan should delve into the series’ rich lore, its unique interplay of horror and fantasy, and the profound journey of its protagonist, Roland Deschain. Fans of The Dark Tower are deeply familiar with King’s vision and are unlikely to embrace a stark deviation from what makes the narrative so gripping.

The lukewarm reception of The Monkey serves as a powerful reminder: Stephen King’s audience is both dedicated and discerning, expecting to see his stories authentically represented on-screen. Making an adaptation “your own” is not a viable approach in this realm. Flanagan, armed with extensive experience and evident talent, must ensure his adaptations honor the tone and themes that are quintessential to King’s storytelling.

Ultimately, it seems that The Monkey may represent a misguided artistic choice, as reflected in its audience ratings. Flanagan now possesses the invaluable chance to learn from Perkins’ miscalculations. By preserving the emotional weight inherent in King’s narratives, he can avoid the pitfalls that hindered Perkins, paving the way for successful adaptations that do justice to the master storyteller’s works. With The Dark Tower and other projects on the horizon, Flanagan possesses the potential to become one of the foremost directors in the realm of Stephen King adaptations—provided he consistently respects the source material’s strengths.

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