Killer toys on screen: 3 spine-chilling films to watch before The Monkey

The Monkey is the latest film to takes a leaf out of Stephen King's bestselling oeuvre. The horror comedy is adapted from King's namesake short story of 1980. The film is written and directed by Osgood Perkins, whose body of work mostly consists of horror flicks.

The Monkey stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy, among others. The film was released on February 21, 2025, by Neon. If you are planning to watch this film, you would first want to check out three horror films we have curated. Like The Monkey, these films feature killer toys that torment people. Let's take a look.

3 horror films to watch before The Monkey

The Monkey features a toy monkey that sets off a chain of horrific events in the story. Here is a list of three similar films featuring a demonic toy or a doll. These films are different from each other and were released at different times.

1) Child's Play (1988)

Child's Play is possibly the granddaddy of all the killer toy films. This slasher film was directed by Thomas Holland and follows a kid who receives a new toy from his mother. Eventually, he realizes that the toy has the soul of a dead serial killer. The film stars Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, and Alex Vincent, among others.

The film was a major success and kickstarted a franchise that is still going on. If you are into horror and enjoy macabre stories, do not miss this film. It's available on Amazon Prime Video.

2) M3GAN (2022)

M3GAN blends science fiction with horror and the end result is a scary tale of an AI doll that goes on a rampage and starts eliminating those who she comes between her and her human friend. Gerard Johnstone has directed the film while Akela Cooper has written the screenplay. In the age of artificial intelligence and AI chatbots, a film like M3GAN are more relevant than ever.

The film was commercially released in the U.S. on January 6, 2023, and became a success. It has a sequel coming up in 2025. The campiness of this film makes it stand out among the crowd. The film can be viewed on Amazon Prime Video.

3) Annabelle: Creation (2017)

Annabelle: Creation features a doll that was first shown in The Conjuring. While the doll doesn't kill like Chucky does, it is the evil force behind many murders. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg and tells the origin story of the titular doll. It has strong performances and writing that create genuine scares.

Annabelle: Creation was released on August 11, 2017, and became a commercial success, grossing over $306 million at the global box office. The film also received positive reviews and was followed by a sequel titled Annabelle Comes Home, which opened in 2019. The film can be enjoyed on Netflix.

So there you go — a list of all three films that you can enjoy as you wait to watch The Monkey. While they might differ in treatment and stories, all these films provide a strong dose of horror to the viewers.