They're cute. They're scary. They're clever. They're … us?
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Theo James in "The Monkey."
NEON
'Better Man' (2024, directed by Michael Gracey)
This Robbie Williams musical biopic found a new way to spice up a tired genre: just turn the hero (voiced by Williams himself) into a CGI chimp and let 'er rip. The hero's ups and downs are the chimp's ups and downs. When young Robbie gets a pep talk from his dear old mum, it's the (quite adorable) baby chimp absorbing the life lessons. He looks sharp in everything from a suit and tie to a sporty sweat suit. And boy, can that monkey sing. Put some bananas in his dressing room and let's rock the house.
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Dustin Hoffman in "Outbreak."
'Outbreak' (1995, directed by Wolfgang Petersen)
Humans will likely be the cause of the planet's demise, but sometimes it's more fun to blame the monkey. A white-headed capuchin monkey is brought from Africa (some tropes never die) to a California pet store. The monkey decides it's nobody's pet and gets feisty. And the next thing you know, it's up to Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rene Russo to save the world from lethal pandemic. Mass panic and evacuation ensue as the clock ticks down. Unlike 'Contagion' (2011), in which 'the wrong pig met up with the wrong bat,' 'Outbreak' besmirches the dignity of the noble monkey. The humans, however, will pay in the post-apocalyptic future…
Charlton Heston, center, in "Planet of the Apes."
'Planet of the Apes' (1968, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner)
The sci-fi staple that flipped evolution on its head, 'Apes' presents a world — spoiler alert — that humanity did indeed destroy. Meet the new bosses, apes all, or at least actors (including Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter, and Maurice Evans) wearing what was, at the time, cutting-edge ape costumes and makeup. 'I have always known about man,' opines Evans's Dr. Zaius. 'From the evidence, I believe his wisdom must walk hand in hand with his idiocy. His emotions must rule his brain.' It's a madhouse, I tell ya. A madhouse. The current movie franchise has taken the premise in intriguing new directions, but the original still rules the primates.
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A giant gorilla in "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Archive Photos
'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968, directed by Stanley Kubrick)
More people in monkey suits, delivering messages of man's folly. The 'Dawn of Man' sequence that begins Kubrick's epic head trip is among the tipping points of modern cinema, an announcement that we were now playing by different rules. The monkey people initially just jump around and shout a lot. Then that rectangular black monolith shows up, accompanied by swelling choral vocals. One monkey picks up a bone from an animal skeleton. And it dawns on him: a weapon! Perfect for delivering a beatdown to a fellow monkey. Monkeykind will never be the same. The sequence, lasting nearly 10 minutes, ends with one of the greatest cuts in film history, as that bone, tossed into the sky, becomes a satellite in space. There's no monkey business like it.
King Kong stands atop New York's Empire State Building as he holds an airplane during an attack by fighter planes in "King Kong."
AP
'King Kong' (1933, directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack)
Kong, like 'Planet of the Apes,' has been revamped a few times. But this one is King. Watching this artifact of the early sound era on the big screen, as I did recently at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, you might experience some conflicting sensations. For one:
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Chris Vognar, a freelance culture writer, was the 2009 Nieman Arts and Culture Fellow at Harvard University.
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The Dark Tower series for me is something that connects them all — I think that's his magnum opus. My favorite story to read though is The Life of Chuck, which is way up there. Hearts in Atlantis makes me cry tears of joy. The Green Mile novel is astonishing. Tom Hiddleston: For movies, it's The Shawshank Redemption. It made a big impact on my whole life. It changed how I think about life, actually, when I watched it. It hit me at a very formative time, when I was a teenager. The compassion in the film, and the way it lands, and what redemption really is. The last 20 minutes of that film are some of the most moving from a motion picture I've ever seen. Mark Hamill: There are so many different types of Stephen King novels. The most terrifying novel to me was Pet Sematary. I saw The Shining and walked straight from the theater to a bookstore to buy the book, so I could figure out what the hell I just saw. But I also like his books that aren't about supernatural or horror. The Body comes to mind, The Green Mile, and Shawshank Redemption. It's an embarrassment of riches. Benjamin Pajak: I love If It Bleeds. I'm kind of biased, but I just love the stories in it. Every story in there has a place in my heart. I read it when I got cast, and I hadn't really known Stephen King before I found out I'd be in the movie. I immediately just felt connected to his writing when I read the book. Chiwetel Ejiofor: There are very few films that I genuinely feel envious of people if they haven't seen them, 'cause I envy that first time that they watch it. I still have that feeling about The Shawshank Redemption. It's one of those films that you just want to watch somebody's face in the third act. Karen Gillan: The Shining is probably my favorite film of all time. I love that film. I'm a Stanley Kubrick fan. It's just so terrifying and brilliant, with its exploration into this man's descent into madness. 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