‘Bad Monkey’ Apple TV+ Series Review - A Fantastic Black Comedy

Ask someone to create a list of their favorite performances, and people will normally include names like Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler, etc. You get the gist, right? People love mentioning these big, dramatic examples, and while these actors deserve every bit of your compliment, one should not ignore the pleasure one receives while watching an actor in a comedy. The part might be thin or generic or unmemorable, but not every character needs to be psychologically scarred or complicated. The most fun I had recently with a performance came from Berenice Barbier in The Shakedown. I couldn't stop smiling whenever I saw her on the screen. She, sadly, doesn't appear very often in the film, but when she does, you automatically start grinning. I felt something similar while watching Meredith Hagner in Bad Monkey. Her Eve has more meat and screen time than Berenice Barbier's Marika, but they share an almost identical comic energy. What Barbier and Hagner prove is that there is still life in roles that are generic. A talented actor can infuse life into the stick figure -  he/she can sell a stereotype effectively. As Eve, Hagner unleashes her inner child on the screen. That child is demonic, opportunistic, and manipulative. Eve does some awful things in Bad Monkey, but we don't hate her very strongly. She looks like a spoiled kid who can do anything to get her favorite toy or candy. When she pouts her lips and stares at someone angrily, you laugh at her instead of feeling an eerie chill.

Hagner imbues her lines with a droll spirit and what lines they turn out to be! Consider this gem: "You share his DNA. I swallow it." Here is a woman who moans, "I want pizza," while having sex. Eve is dim-witted, but she converts her stupidity into wonderful comedy. Observe how we come to know that she is a slow reader and must have only read children's books in her life. Her reaction when her skin receives a minor cut with a knife is enough to get audiences to bust a gut. Eve is the rotten soul of Bad Monkey. She doesn't need to eat an Apple to commit a sin. She eats up a man's life. Who is he? Let's keep it a secret for you to find. His hand, though, appears very quickly, and his middle finger remains open due to a random rigor mortis. Detective Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn) is tasked with taking the hand to Miami, but the issue with Andrew is that he doesn't always do what he's told to do by his superiors or colleagues. He is a chatterbox and is amusing and witty most of the time. Still, there are moments when you wish someone would just put a tape on his lips. Andrew can be annoying. Vaughn, though, rescues his character from completely slipping into the irksome territory. You sense loud signals emanating from within the actor's body, telling you to like him, love him, and cuddle him. Vaughn doesn't say a line or make a face without feeling conscious about himself. He seems to really want you to find him appealing. It's a big turn-off when an actor comes across as desperate. Vaughn, though, doesn't seem repulsive. He can, however, look bland and only mildly interesting. You are surprised that Rosa (Natalie Martinez) falls so madly in love with him, although it's impossible to deny that Andrew can cover up his flaws by being incredibly charming. Nonetheless, it's disappointing to see Rosa's quirks get destroyed when she starts spending more and more time with Yancy. This medical examiner initially doesn't mind stealing clothes from dead bodies. As the show progresses, such weird, amusing habits are taken away from her, and she is reduced to a cute love interest of Yancy.

Bad Monkey has a playful way of establishing a connection between its characters. What's common between Rosa's bathtub and Yancy's favorite chair? They act as de-stressing tools for these two people. Eve, during her struggling days as a theater actor, tells herself that she will one day become famous. Evan (Alex Moffat), a real estate developer, motivates himself by saying things like, "I can do it. I am the best." Evan is the weakest link in this chain. He seems to be an unnecessary element. Bad Monkey, thankfully, never feels draggy due to him or other factors (its length, for instance). Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Carl Hiaasen, Bad Monkey has not a single dull moment. It's packed with events, but it never resembles an empty noise, which is the impression you mainly get from most of the forgettable Netflix Originals. Bad Monkey is not mindlessly busy. It moves with a purpose in mind. Every event looks both lighthearted and crucial. The series has room for not just crime comedy aspects but also for supernatural developments. It introduces us to scammers as well as spiritual individuals. You will hear about bad luck, good luck, curses, portions, and witches. A boat is pushed into the water, and it actually ends up helping a person later. Someone is told to choke on their lies, and they die while eating. Something mystical is indeed happening. Anyway, Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) is the name of the witch. She is an Obeah–a practicing woman who, we slowly learn, does not fully trust in her unnatural abilities. This doesn't stop her from looking mysterious, scary, and seductive. It's incredible how Bad Monkey smoothly combines these magical elements with "real life."

The icing on the cake is the voiceover, providing witty commentary and insights. It not only delivers straightforward information, such as "Yancy is no longer suspended; he's fired," but also injects humor into the scenes with comments like, "This was a big moment for Brad. It might have been bigger if Rosa had come back." The voiceover doesn't just focus on humans; it also conveys the emotions of the animals, like a cat-hating its owner or a monkey being as stubborn as its human friend. Bad Monkey neatly ties up all loose ends - all the threads are neatly wrapped. While watching the show, the word "addictive" repeatedly came to mind, as I could have easily binge-watched ten more episodes without feeling tired. It's not just good; it's fantastic.

Final Score- [8.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times
Note: All 10 episodes are screened for this review.
Premiere Date: August 14, 2024, on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes followed by a new episode every Wednesday.