Monkey Shines (also known as Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear) is a 1988 American psychological horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Jason Beghe, Kate McNeil, John Pankow, and Joyce Van Patten. Its plot follows a young athlete who becomes a paralyzed quadriplegic, and develops a bond with an intelligent service monkey named "Ella" who becomes homicidal after she is injected with an experimental serum of human brain tissue. It is based on the 1983 British novel of the same title by Michael Stewart.
Producers Peter Grunwald and Charles Evans of Orion Pictures acquired the rights to Stewart's novel in 1985, and began production two years later, with Romero assigned to direct. The film marked Romero's first major studio feature, and was his second-most expensive film at that time, with a budget of $7 million. The setting was changed from Oxford, England, where the novel was set, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a city in which Romero had long resided and often set his films. Principal photography of Monkey Shines took place in Pittsburgh in the late summer and early fall of 1987. It had a protracted post-production and editing process, as Romero shot more film than he had on any of his previous projects, particularly due to the use of live monkeys.
Monkey Shines was released theatrically by Orion Pictures in July 1988, receiving mixed reviews and a lackluster box-office reception, grossing $5.3 million against its $7 million budget. In the intervening years, the film has been noted by critics as an offbeat entry in Romero's filmography, and has earned status as a minor cult film.
Plot[]
Law student and athlete Allan Mann is struck by a truck and rendered quadriplegic following surgery. As his overbearing mother and strict nurse try to help him, Allan, now in a SNP-equipped wheelchair, struggles to adjust. He eventually attempts suicide. His friend, Geoffrey Fisher, suggests he get a Capuchin monkey as a service animal to lift his spirits and help around the house. Geoffrey has an ulterior motive: he is a research scientist under pressure to produce results. Geoffrey has been dosing a monkey in his lab with a serum to boost its intelligence, and he believes the serum's effects will be amplified if the monkey is around humans.
Geoffrey enlists Melanie Parker, a specialist in training helper monkeys. Geoffrey provides the Capuchin he has been experimenting on, lying to Melanie and Allan that the monkey is completely normal. Allan names the monkey Ella, and he and Melanie work closely training her. Initially, Ella is a huge help to Allan. Allan grows very close to Melanie.
However, as time passes, Allan grows more short-tempered and resentful. Ella, too, becomes more aggressive. Allan dreams of running through the grass at night, and he believes that he has a telepathic link with Ella, whom he suspects can escape the house. Geoffrey finds evidence confirming this but, pleased with Ella's intelligence, does not tell Allan and Melanie. After the pet bird of Allan's nurse flies around and pesters him, the irate Allan wishes that it were dead - that night, Ella stealthily kills the bird and leaves it in the nurse's slipper; causing the nurse to quit in a huff.
Allan gets a second opinion about his paralysis and discovers that he may have been misdiagnosed; another surgery may enable Allan to walk again. Before attempting the risky surgery, the doctor needs Allan to demonstrate some ability to move an appendage. Rather than feeling happy at this news, Allan is filled with anger at the surgeon who originally (possibly purposely) misdiagnosed him (and who is now dating Allan's former girlfriend). He fantasizes about burning the man's cabin down, and that night, Ella escapes and does just that; killing the surgeon and his girlfriend with a pack of stolen matches.
After seeing news of the fire, the horrified Allan believes that Ella has been carrying out his dark impulses. He also realizes that when he is around Ella, he becomes easily enraged. Allan demands that Geoffrey take Ella away for good, which he does under protest. With Ella gone, Allan becomes more relaxed; he spends the weekend at Melanie's house and the two begin a romance.
Allan returns home and mends bridges with his mother, but he suddenly feels outraged at her disapproval of Melanie. Allan realizes that Ella must be nearby (Ella has returned to the house after escaping Geoffrey's lab). Allan's mother ignores his desperate warnings that she leave, and instead takes a bath. Ella kills her by dropping a hairdryer into the tub, electrocuting her. Allan briefly answers a call from Melanie before Ella disables the phone; concerned, Melanie departs for Allan's house.
Geoffrey arrives and confesses that Ella was an experimental subject. The enraged Allan demands Geoffrey to leave, upset at being used for an experiment yet concerned for his safety with Ella around. Instead, Geoffrey pursues Ella around the house; intending to put her down with one of the syringes of sodium pentobarbitone he has brought. Ella manages to take one of the syringes and injects Geoffrey, striking him down.
Ella returns to Allan, who is filled with self loathing because he believes that Ella is acting out his own impulses. He screams at Ella, but the monkey responds by urinating on him. Melanie arrives and Ella attacks her. This finally convinces Allan that Ella is not simply carrying out his desires. Melanie falls and is knocked unconscious. As Allan rages at Ella, she ignores him and prepares to inject Melanie with one of Geoffrey's syringes. Allan calms himself and moves his right arm to engage his tape deck. As peaceful music plays he lovingly summons Ella to cuddle close to him, and she complies. When Ella is by his head, Allan viciously bites Ella in the neck and throws her onto his wheelchair continuously, snapping her neck.
Later, Allan undergoes successful spinal surgery. He and Melanie leave the hospital together, and Allan carefully stands up from his wheelchair to get into the van with her.