Rent Monkey Shines (1988)

3.2 of 5 from 82 ratings
1h 48min
Rent Monkey Shines (aka Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear / Ella) Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) is a bitter, angry and vengeful man ever since an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He's fed up with himself and everyone around him. All that changes when he's given Ella, a monkey trained to meet his every need. But when Ella begins anticipating Allan's thoughts, strange and deadly things start happening. And as she stalks and wreaks havoc on Allan's fair-weather girlfriend (Janine Turner), incompetent doctor and meddling mother, Allan realizes he must stop the cunning maniacal creature... before she fully takes over his mind.
Actors:
, , , , , , , , , , , , Chuck Baker, , , Michael Naft, , , Lia Savini,
Directors:
Producers:
Charles Evans
Writers:
Michael Stewart, George A. Romero
Aka:
Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear / Ella
Studio:
MGM
Genres:
Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers
Collections:
Top 10 Stephen King Films, Top Films
BBFC:
Release Date:
04/10/2004
Run Time:
108 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 3.0, French Dolby Digital 3.0, German Dolby Digital 3.0, Polish Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 3.0
Subtitles:
Danish, Dutch, English Hard of Hearing, French, German Hard of Hearing, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.85:1
Colour:
Colour
BBFC:
Release Date:
08/10/2018
Run Time:
113 minutes
Languages:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.85:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Feature-length audio commentary by Travis Crawford
  • Audio commentary with George A. Romero
  • An Experiment in Fear: The Making of 'Monkey Shines'
  • Alternate ending and deleted scenes
  • Behind the scenes footage
  • Original EPK featurette and vintage interviews

More like Monkey Shines

Found in these customers lists

Reviews (1) of Monkey Shines

Monkey Business Gets Personal - Monkey Shines review by griggs

Spoiler Alert
20/07/2025


A paraplegic man and a telepathic helper monkey locked in a psychological power struggle might sound like schlock. Still, George A. Romero plays it straight—and that’s half the fun. Monkey Shines isn’t a great film, but it’s a surprisingly earnest one, wrapped in ’80s B-movie packaging with flashes of something darker underneath.


The early sections, focused on loss and adaptation, are genuinely moving. Jason Beghe does solid work as the lead, and the film’s central relationship—between man and monkey—is equal parts touching and unnerving. Once the horror kicks in, it’s part creature feature, part Freudian freak-out, with Romero mining suspense from surgical scalpels and simian stares.


Tonally, it’s all over the place: heartfelt one minute, utterly daft the next. But something is appealing in its awkward sincerity. You can sense Romero trying to elevate the pulp, even if it never quite comes together. Messy, odd, and occasionally gripping—just don’t expect Dawn of the Dead.


1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

Unlimited films sent to your door, starting at £23.99 a month.