Skip to content
Bad Monkey centres around Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn), a Floridacop on suspension, now working as a health inspector, until he can get his badge back, but former cop partner Roland (John Ortiz) still needs him for a job where a man’s arm has turned up in the sea, most likely chewed up by a shark, but whose is it? And what to do when the pathology lab doesn’t want it? And if he was murdered, who did the deed?
This is an investigation which will also bring in pathologist Rosa Campesino (Natalie Martinez), widow Eve Stripling (Meredith Hagner), her new beau Christopher (Rob Delaney) and Yancy’s ex-wife Bonnie (Michelle Monaghan, looking barely any older in the past 20 years, since Mission Impossible III).
Vince is his usual wisecracking self, and he’s been making some great films of late, including Brawl In Cell Block 99, Dragged Through Concrete and Arkansas; and he’s joined by a rather amusing narrator (Tom Nowicki), even if some of the comments are a bit generic, for example, saying how he just has to stay out of trouble if he wants his job back, but “problem is, trouble always comes looking for him”, especially since he got suspended because he had an altercation with his ex-wife’s new significant other.
The story then crosses over to a young black lad, Neville Stafford (Ronald Peet), who has to sell his beach house because of property development, and has gained a monkey into the bargain. It’s a good monkey, hence the title referring to Vaughn’s character…
Bad Monkey has a few different storylines going on, including a new house next door, which isn’t to building regulations and so suffers our lead’s ire, since he doesn’t want anyone to buy it and he’ll do anything he can to stop it.
Plus, we learn how the houses in that area only have red lights on them as they’re by the water, since if they have white lights, baby turtles will get confused, mistake it for the moon and go the wrong way.
There are multiple characters for whom I’m still getting my head around, but I am enjoying it, though. It comes across as quite uncomplicated in how it presents itself, but it’s meant to be a bit of entertaining fluff, it’s not The Usual Suspects, in terms of complex plotting.
Bad Monkey is on Apple TV+ from today. Initially, two episodes are available, and additional episodes will stream at the rate of two per week.
It isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Check out the trailer below:
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 45-60 mins per episode (10 episodes)
Release date: August 14th 2024 (first 2 episodes, then one each week)
Studio: Apple TV+
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Marcos Siega, Colin Bucksey, Erica Dunton, Liz Friedlander, Sam Jones,
Producers: Jean Higgins, Stephanie Johnson
Novel: Carl Hiaasen
Screenwriters: Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses, Milla Bell-Hart, Ashley Nicole Black, Brian C Brown, Ellie Knaus, Michael C Martin, Annie Mebane, Adam Sztykiel
Music: Jamie Jackson, Waz
Cast:
Andrew Yancy: Vince Vaughn
Rosa Campesino: Natalie Martinez
Roland: John Ortiz
Eve Stripling: Meredith Hagner
Bonnie Witt: Michelle Monaghan
YaYa: L Scott Caldwell
Christopher: Rob Delaney
Neville Stafford: Ronald Peet
Dragon Queen: Jodie Turner-Smith
Narrator: Tom Nowicki
Egg: David St Louis
Driggs: Crystal the Monkey
Evan Shook: Alex Moffat
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.