Monkey Shines is a horror film directed by the one and only George Romero and one might be surprised to learn there is nary a zombie in sight. It is also a movie that could very well vie for being one of his best, if not the best though there are many who will dispute that. What is without question is that the man does a great job with the material, his direction is solid and he makes it shine which is not something everybody is capable of.

It all begins with a man named Allan as portrayed by Jason Beghe, who has the perfect life. It all comes crashing down though when he gets into an accident that paralyses him from the neck down. While he does not really care to go on living, there are those around him that will be sad to see him go and so he sticks around and gains a friend and a helper in the form of a monkey named Ella. Given to him by his scientist friend Geoffrey as played by John Pankow and not knowing that Ella’s intelligence was boosted thanks to some drugs that Geoff is testing out, he begins to think that he can finally get on with his life, such is the healing power of her companionship. Things take a turn though for the smarter that Ella gets, the more she understands her feelings and one of those is jealousy and another anger. Allan loves what Ella does for him but Ella is starting to love Allan on a deeper level even if she is a monkey. When Allan decides to give Ella back, the real horror begins and Romero ramps things up until the film finally ends the only way it could.

There are a few things that really make this movie stand out from everything else that Romero has done and one of those is budget as he is given enough of one to really make this picture work and do what he needs to make it a success. The second is the cast who are quite good and bring this film to life in the best of ways by putting in performances that are believable and that resonate with the audience. Beghe is particularly good as he goes through different stages in the movie, the emotional range needed alone would be a challenge for some and Beghe does a great job handling it all. One interesting member of the cast is a young Stanley Tucci who plays a less-than-noble human being in more ways than one. Factor in the aforementioned Pankow, Kat McNeil, Joyce Van Patten and Christine Forrest among others and this is one of the more talented casts that Romero has ever had in one of his films.

There are some shocks to be had as the film heads into its last act and the pace picks up, it being somewhat measured beforehand which soon leads to the final showdown between man and monkey. One feels truly sorry for Ella, for she never wanted any of this, merely wanting to live in whatever jungle she came from and that is the true horror of it all. Most of the characters in this picture are somewhat repugnant in one way or another and one also has to feel sorry for Allan being surrounded by such people which is why Ella was such a godsend. Despite the movie having a happy ending, it is somewhat soured by Ella’s fate and it leaves the audience thinking of what they just watched, a testament to the quality of Romero’s work.

4 out of 5