That audience won’t get what they’re expecting. And yet, as movie studios fixate on giving fans exactly what they want, Perkins may be making a name for himself by giving them exactly what he wants. The Monkey is, to put it gently, the peanut butter to Longlegs ’ celery.

Few filmmakers have successfully adapted Stephen King’s work for the screen, and even fewer have found a way to stay true to his material while simultaneously putting their own spin on it. Osgood Perkins,