A recently paralyzed man develops a telepathic connection to his super intelligent service monkey, but the experiment that contributes to monkey’s cognizance bring about violent behavior.

Monkeys actually scare the shit out of me. If they’re not masturbating in front of you at the zoo, they’re chewing your friend’s face off during a 911 call. Much to my chagrin, they are totally having a moment in pop culture again – from the fist bumping killer chimp from Nope (2022), the interminable Planet of the Apes franchise, or HBO’s Tiger King spinoff, Chimp Crazy, there’s no denying we’re still fascinated by our furry cousins.

Allan is an athlete who suffers a traumatic injury, rendering him a quadriplegic. He struggles to adapt to life in a wheelchair, but a scientist experimenting with human brain cells in apes offers a capuchin called Ella as a service companion to assist with tasks. At first, a healthy bond forms between the two but over time their mental connection grows stronger than necessary, causing Ella to act out violently towards the people that wrong Allan.

George A. Romero and FX legend Tom Savini combined forces for memorable killer primate flick MONKEY SHINES (1988), managing to straddle the line between good and not good. Despite my distaste for primates, Monkey Shines failed to freak me out due to Ella the Capuchin being so gosh darn adorable, even when she’s going…apeshit.