Movies like Predator: Badlands, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and Anaconda are still on the list of upcoming theatrical releases, but 2025 has already been one of the best for horror. From blockbuster hits to the return of fan-favorite franchises, the past year has seen movie lovers pack theaters for some terrifying releases, proving that the horror genre is absolutely thriving. Many of 2025’s biggest and best horror movies are already finding streaming homes, and just in time for Halloween, one of the best horror movies of the year is already streaming completely free.
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The Monkey, Longlegs director Osgood Perkins’ adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novel of the same name, started streaming on Kanopy on October 31st. This means that just eight months after its theatrical release, the movie is streaming free, the only catch being that Kanopy does require a library card to sign up. For those unfamiliar, The Monkey stars Theo James in a dual role as twin brothers Hal and Bill, whose lives are turned upside down after they discover a mysterious wind-up monkey in the attic, unleashing a string of horrific deaths.
The Monkey Is a Bloody Good Time
There have been a lot of great horror titles this year, but none have been as wickedly funny or gory as The Monkey. Perkins once again proves with The Monkey that he’s one of the loudest voices in horror and has the versatility to thrive in the genre, presenting a completely unhinged story that toes the line between horror and dark comedy. If you’re looking for an outlandishly good time with equal amounts of laughs and inventive, bloody kills that may just outmatch even those in the most recent Final Destination movie, then The Monkey won’t leave you disappointed.
The movie, which ranks on numerous lists charting the best horror films of the year, shines as a great King adaptation, taking just enough creative liberties to establish it as a dark horror-comedy rather than a straightforward horror tale. ComicBook wrote that the film leans “into the lunacy of the core premise” of the book, and in doing so delivers “a satisfying experience that honors the source material yet puts a fresh spin on King-created scenarios.”
Outside of being a great King adaptation and featuring some of this year’s most memorable kills on the big screen, The Monkey also features a standout performance from James, who masterfully portrays polar opposite twin brothers with ease. The film is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 77% critic score and a more divisive 55% audience rating.
Other Horror Movies Now on Kanopy
If you have a library card, you have the ability to watch tons of terrifying films on Kanopy. The streaming service boasts an impressive horror catalog of movies like Possession, Train to Busan, Suspiria, Skinamarink, Scream, and Terrifier 3, as well as fellow Perkins hit Longlegs.
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