15 Best Monkeys in Movies, Ranked (2024)

Animals have always been a source of entertainment for us humans, and few more so than the monkey. Is it a fascination with our evolutionary heritage that makes monkeys such a frequent source of interest, or are they just irresistibly adorable? It’s likely some combination of the two, but their intelligence not only makes them curious companions; they’re camera-friendly ones.

With the recent success of films like the Planet of the Apes franchise, as well as the timeless charm of classics like The Wizard of Oz, cinematic monkeys are more relevant and endearing today than ever before. From the goofy to the loving to the scary, monkeys have been a part of cinema for most of its existence. Subsequently, there are plenty of memorable monkey movie stars to consider.

15 Dunston

'Dunston Checks In' (1996)

Monkey + hotel = box office gold. Or so thought the makers of the little-seen 1996 comedy Dunston Checks In, in which a young boy (Eric Lloyd) befriends an orangutan at a hotel. Dunston, however, is no ordinary orangutan — he’s a jewel thief. The prospect of a jewel-heisting orangutan is in and of itself more than enough to make Dunston one of the best-ever movie monkeys.

As a plus, though, the charming orangutan gets a human-like character arc in Dunston Checks In, as he finds himself dismayed by the thievery business and wanting out, if only his abusive owner (played by Rupert Everett) would set him free. Enter Lloyd’s young character to the rescue, and wacky hotel-centric antics ensue. It's really not as fun as it sounds, if the abysmal reception Dunston Checks In got is to be believed; but Dunston himself is not to blame.

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14 Amy

'Congo' (1995)

The 1995 action sci-fi film Congo, directed by Frank Marshall, should be present in any list of the best movie apes due to its unforgettable primate characters and its general underrated nature. Indeed, the talking gorilla Amy (who uses a device that translates her sign language into spoken words), who likes co*cktails and is overall irresistibly cool, is a legend in her field.

Between her fondness for painting and penchant for referring to herself in the third person, what’s not to love? Congo isn't a particularly outstanding movie, despite being based on a book by none other than Michael Crichton, screenwriter of Jurassic Park and author of the novel it was based on. It is, however, a campy guilty pleasure that deserves a lot more recognition than it gets — and lots of that recognition should rightfully be aimed in Amy's general direction.

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13 Gordy

'Nope' (2022)

Ever since he burst into the filmmaking scene with his surprise 2017 hit Get Out, comedian Jordan Peele has proved with each subsequent outing that he's a creative voice to look out for in Hollywood. His third and most recent movie, Nope, is further proof of that. In it, the inhabitants of a lonely Californian gulch bear witness to an uncanny discovery. Interspersed between the crucial moments of this storyline is a terrifying scene from Ricky's (Steven Yeun) tragic past, featuring Gordy the chimpanzee.

It's gradually revealed that, while filming an episode from the second season of a TV show he starred in as a child, Ricky's life was spared by the chimp actor who suddenly went feral and killed the rest of the cast and crew. Rarely — if ever — in movie history has a monkey been this terrifying. Aside from sending chills down the audience's spine, though, Gordy is a devastating representation of the themes Peele presents in Nope: People's hubris in relation to thinking that they can tame nature, and an audience's inability to look away from tragedy.

Nope

Where to Watch

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Release Date

July 20, 2022

Director

Jordan Peele

Cast

Steven Yeun , Daniel Kaluuya , Keke Palmer , Terry Notary , Conor Kowalski , Mark Casimir Dyniewicz

Runtime

130 minutes

Main Genre

Horror

12 Flying Monkeys

'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

Sure, some movies have monkeys that can talk. But what about monkeys that can fly? That’s enough to rocket the terrifying Flying Monkeys from the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz to a prime spot on anyone's list of favorite cinematic apes. Some people may say that they're nothing but disposable henchmen. Those people are boring and hate fun. The flying monkeys are colorful, dangerously cute minions who are a delight to see in action.

In all seriousness, the makeup and costuming effects that brought these characters to life are absolutely tremendous and hold up extremely well over eighty years later. Subsequent iterations and twists on the story have tried to spruce up the characters using cutting-edge technology, but despite these attempts, the best version of a flying monkey remains the one brought to life in 1939 in what many still consider the best fantasy movie of all time

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11 Curious George

'Curious George' (2006)

The charming little modern classic Curious George is one of the most underrated animated movies of recent times, and its title character is deserving of much more respect when talking about the best movie monkeys. The movie is about a man in a yellow hat who looks after his pet monkey, the inquisitive George, whose enthusiasm to learn and discover usually gets the best of him.

Curious George is perhaps one of the best movies to serve as kids' introduction to cinema, and the adventurous little banana-loving monkey at its center is a character who can teach children a lot about the risks of being reckless in their desire to explore the world. With a simple but cute design and an endearing personality, Curious George is a cinematic monkey that even adults can't get enough of.

Curious George

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

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Release Date

February 10, 2006

Director

Matthew O'Callaghan

Cast

Frank Welker , Will Ferrell , Shane Baumel , Timyra-Joi Beatty , Eugene Levy , Christopher Chen

Runtime

82

10 Rafiki

'The Lion King' (1994)

In Disney’s animated classic The Lion King, one of the best movies most people don't know were inspired by Shakespeare, a young lion prince is exiled from his kingdom by his treacherous uncle, who has killed his father in order to seize the throne. Here, the monkey gets to take on the role of the wise, somewhat eccentric oracle-like character in the form of the mandrill Rafiki.

Rafiki plays a vital part in the story, sending Simba on his way to claim his destiny as the titular Lion King. He does so in a hilariously boisterous manner, however, making for one of the more memorable supporting turns in a movie full of memorable supporting turns. It's not often that the mentor-like figure in Hero's Journey-inspired tales also serves as occasional comedic relief, making Rafiki even more special.

The Lion King (1994)

G

Animation

Adventure

Drama

Where to Watch

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Release Date

June 24, 1994

Director

Rob Minkoff , Roger Allers

Cast

Matthew Broderick , Jeremy Irons , James Earl Jones

Runtime

88 minutes

9 Tribe Leader

'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)

While a more evolutionarily advanced form of primate than most other famous movie monkeys, the tribe of early hominids that take center stage in the opening minutes of Stanley Kubrick’s astounding 2001: A Space Odyssey are nevertheless some of the most memorable primates ever seen onscreen. After all, perhaps no ape has ever been so prominently at the forefront of a more iconic scene than the opening of 2001.

Kubrick opens his sci-fi epic, one of the greatest of all time, in a wholly unexpected manner with The Dawn of Man, a scene that draws the fine line between adorable lower primates and dangerous/power-hungry humans. It’s only fitting that this symbolic first act of war/murder by the tribe leader serves as the opening for a film that so powerfully and eloquently explores the human condition.

2001: A Space Odyssey

G

Adventure

Mystery

Sci-Fi

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Release Date

April 2, 1968

See Also

Monkeytype | A minimalistic, customizable typing test

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Cast

Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , Leonard Rossiter , Margaret Tyzack

Runtime

141

8 King Louie

'The Jungle Book' (1967)

Based very loosely on the works of Rudyard Kipling, Disney's animated classic The Jungle Book is about Mowgli, a boy who was raised in the jungle by wolves after an accident left him stranded in the wild. As he grows older, the wise panther Bagheera and the laid-back bear Baloo have a difficult time trying to convince him to go find human civilization. Cartoonish hijinks and iconic songs ensue.

The massive CGI gigantopithecus that took on the role in Jon Favreau's 2016 considerably superior remake of the film is also a legendary movie primate, but nothing beats iconicity — and Disney doesn't have very many more iconic monkeys than the original King Louie. His groovy dance moves and charming desire to be human make him a delightful character to watch, even if it's just for a brief period of runtime.

The Jungle Book (1967)

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Where to Watch

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Not available

Release Date

October 18, 1967

Director

Wolfgang Reitherman

Cast

Phil Harris , Sebastian Cabot , Louis Prima , Bruce Reitherman

Runtime

1h 18m

7 Abu

'Aladdin' (1992)

Disney’s 1992 animated classic Aladdin, loosely inspired by the tales of the Thousand and One Nights, is about a kind street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier, who fight over the power of a magic lamp with the ability to make three of their deepest wishes come true. It's a beautiful film famous for its colorful animation, inspiring love story, and vibrant characters.

The movie features quite possibly the cutest “monkey-in-hat” combo ever put on screen: Abu, the kleptomaniac companion to the titular street rat. It’s Abu’s stubbornness that makes him not just a humorous Disney sidekick, but rather a character with a surprising amount of agency and importance to the story. He gets plenty of scenes of both humor and pathos, and his rapport with the Genie is downright magical.

Aladdin (1992)

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Musical

Romance

Where to Watch

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Release Date

November 25, 1992

Director

Ron Clements , John Musker

Cast

Scott Weinger , Robin Williams , Linda Larkin , Jonathan Freeman , Frank Welker , Gilbert Gottfried

Runtime

90 min

6 Noa

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (2024)

A sequel set long after the events of the modern Planet of the Apes trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes tells the story of Noa, a young ape who sets out on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past, making choices that will define the future for apes and humans alike. With the absence of Caesar and the likelihood of this becoming a new long-running franchise, fans were eagerly waiting to see if this new protagonist would show promise. That he certainly does.

Flawed yet noble, likable yet with a lot of room for future installments to expand on his character arc, Noa is the perfect lead for this new Planet of the Apes era. Played behind some of the most impressive CGI of the 2020s thus far by a terrific Owen Teague, he's an archetypal Hero's Journey protagonist in all the best ways.

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5 Cornelius

Original 'Planet of the Apes' Franchise

Charlton Heston’s character may be the obvious protagonist of Planet of the Apes, the classic post-apocalyptic sci-fi film about an astronaut crew that crash-lands on a planet where hyper-intelligent ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved. However, the franchise really belongs to Roddy McDowall’s chimpanzee Dr. Cornelius.

A curious primate who challenges traditional notions of religion and evolution, Cornelius is an honorable and admirable foil to the status quo of the Apes world, and really begins to take over the franchise in the subsequent installments. Wise and intelligent, but never afraid to face danger, he's one of the most kind-hearted characters in the original franchise.

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4 Koba

Modern 'Planet of the Apes' Trilogy

After Tim Burton's remake effectively killed the Planet of the Apes franchise, fans didn't really know what to expect when yet another reboot was announced. When it came out, though, Rise of the Planet of the Apes took the world by storm. As it turned out, this new trilogy became one of the best modern movie franchises, in no small measure thanks to fearsome villains like Koba.

First introduced as a side character of little consequence in Rise, the tortured bonobo with a thirst for revenge against the same human race that mistreated him then became the primary antagonist of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Violent, unpredictable, and a perfect embodiment of values and themes antithetical to those that Caesar preaches, Koba is definitely the franchise's best villain.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Drama

Thriller

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Release Date

July 11, 2014

Director

Matt Reeves

Cast

Gary Oldman , Keri Russell , Andy Serkis , Jason Clarke

Runtime

130 Minutes

3 Zira

Original 'Planet of the Apes' Franchise

If Cornelius is the protagonist of the Planet of the Apes series, then its heart (and possibly true hero) is Zira. Outspoken, intelligent, and curious, Kim Hunter’s character embodied the feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s, culminating in a fantastic turn in Escape from the Planet of the Apes wherein Cornelius and Zira are faced with living in the human world, effectively flipping the premise of the original.

Zira's compassion in the first film is what allows her to see that there’s more to “Bright Eyes” than meets the eye, exposing the themes regarding the nature of the human condition that serve as the franchise's foundation. She’s often the Voice of Reason throughout her tenure in the franchise as not only the most morally steadfast character of the bunch, but also the smartest.

2 Caesar

Modern 'Planet of the Apes' Trilogy

It was difficult to wash the taste of Tim Burton’s remake out of viewers' mouths, but the surprisingly solid new Planet of the Apes franchise did the trick. Not only that: It was arguably able to surpass the level of quality of the original franchise, thanks in large part to Andy Serkis’ tremendous motion-capture performance as Caesar, and the incredible writing of the character.

While previous ape portrayals either relied on humans in masks or the limited training abilities of real primates, the advent of computer-generated technology brought a level of intimacy to an onscreen primate portrayal that we’d never seen before. The result was even better in the sequels, which cemented Caesar as a fascinating protagonist who fails, grows, inspires, and overall results in a gripping character for audiences to follow on his journey of leadership. The new franchise is sure to make him an even more interesting figure, even in death.

1 King Kong

Various Movies

Not only was the original 1933 King Kong a groundbreaking piece of work in regard to cinema and stop-motion animation, but also a terribly poignant story of timeless value. Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly touching, it's a tried and true classic through and through. Audiences back in the early '30s very likely could have never imagined that the spectacle they were witnessing was the birth of one of the most iconic and prolific characters in movie history.

The star of multiple incredible movies — and a few not so good ones (looking at you, King Kong Lives) —, this kaiju legend can serve whatever purpose the movie he's in needs him to serve. Does he need to be a powerful representation of the slave trade? He absolutely can. Does he just need to be a big, cool gorilla that destroys stuff? No problem. It's characters like King Kong that are the stuff of cinematic legend — it's just a happy happenstance that he's a giant ape.

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