Our take
You’d think a caper set in Florida starring Vince Vaughn would be wild, but Bad Monkey is surprisingly chill. The stakes are low, the mystery is revealed quite early, and everyone moves at a languid pace that feels right for the summer season. And yet it’s still fun to watch. It has the right amount of intrigue and it looks enviably nice. Half the time you’ll just be wishing you too could sit back and down a beer while watching the warm Florida waves rock by. Admittedly, the plot lines don’t always mesh and Vaughn could be more dynamic in his performance, but overall, this makes for a perfectly fine summer watch.
The story
A detective turned restaurant inspector in Southern Florida is pulled into a world of greed and corruption after a tourist finds a severed arm while fishing. And yes, there's a monkey.
Elsewhere
"This smartly written, slightly pulpy story unfolds against the backdrop of three tropical settings — Key West, Miami, and Andros, a small island in the Bahamas — that place the viewer in a beachy, relaxing mind-set."
— Jen Chaney
"You’ve seen better versions, you’ve seen worse versions, so the success of this version likely comes down to expectations. Set them low and be rewarded."
— Ben Travers
In the Florida Keys, suspended detective Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn) is drawn to a case that involves more people and officials than he initially expected.
So, is the monkey good or bad? Is it anything?
Fans of Peacock’s Poker Face, put this on if you can’t wait till the next season.
Who picked it
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
