"The Monkey didn’t quite go bananas at the box office": Fans poke fun as the ‘The Monkey’ lands a C+ on CinemaScore

It seems that Stephen King's The Monkey didn't have the best of starts. The horror film, an adaptation of King's short story, premiered at cinemas at the weekend, but the reception wasn't warm and cuddly. CinemaScore reports that viewers awarded it a C+, which isn't so much glowing as any sort of vote of excellence, to be honest.

For a horror film, such a reception is not out of the ordinary. Horror films tend to polarize audiences, with their fans loving the scares or feeling let down. But considering all the hype that was building around this adaptation, the dismal response had the fans wondering and joking about it.

'The Monkey' Debuts with a C+ on CinemaScore

The second the CinemaScore grade dropped, social media was abuzz. Horror fans, Stephen King enthusiasts, and overall moviegoers all had an opinion. Some were appalled, some were disappointed, and others were just thrilled to utilize monkey-related puns as the excuse of the day.

The promotion of the movie had generated anticipation, especially among King's fans, who wanted to know whether this adaptation would remain faithful to the frightening short story. But with a C+ rating, it seems like the film didn’t quite swing to the top of the horror charts. That led to a viral moment, as fans flooded the internet with memes and quips about the movie’s underwhelming performance.

The internet wasted no time in roasting The Monkey. One fan joked, “Looks like The Monkey didn’t quite go bananas at the box office.”

Another chimed in with,

“Guess The Monkey didn’t quite swing its way to an A+”

The monkey-related wordplay was endless, and honestly, it might have been more entertaining than the movie itself.

Some fans pointed out that not all of Stephen King’s stories translate well to film. “Not all King stories work on screen was this one of them?” one user asked. King adaptations have been hit or miss over the years, so it’s no surprise that some fans were skeptical going in.

Then, some wondered if the C+ rating was more a reflection of the story itself or the performances. “Curious if the C+ reflects more on the story or the acting?” someone mused.

A fair question - some King stories shine on the page but lose their magic on screen, and audiences seem to be divided on whether The Monkey fell into that trap.

Of course, with the internet being the internet, things got even weirder. One user asked,

“Is this the same monkey from Toy Story?”

It’s hard to say exactly why the movie didn’t land with audiences. Maybe expectations were too high. Maybe the story didn’t translate well to the big screen. Or maybe, just maybe, people were hoping for a little more bite from this particular King adaptation.

Regardless, the internet made the most of it, turning a mediocre CinemaScore into a viral moment. Whether or not the film finds a cult following later remains to be seen. But for now, it looks like The Monkey might be climbing down the box office ladder rather than swinging up it.