Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round

Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round
Directed byAidan Leary
Written byAidan Leary
C.R. Thompson
StarringMichael Gilio
Production
companies
Terror Town
Great Escape
Yale Productions
Release dates
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round is a 2024 American psychological horror film directed by Aidan Leary, in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay he co-wrote with C.R. Thompson. The film stars Michael Gilio, and was produced under Joe Swanberg's "Terror Town" genre slate through Yale Productions, and distributed by Cineverse.

Plot

James "Jimbo" Jensen hosts a small, low-budget children's show called Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round. He performs alongside puppet characters known as the Playground Pals. His closest partner is Monkey, a primate-themed mascot who always tries to keep James happy and stop him from feeling "blue".

Cast

Release

Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round had its world premiere at the Leeds International Film Festival in the United Kingdom, before being shopped to international buyers at the American Film Market. It was later released for streaming on Screambox, Cineverse's horror-focused platform, on May 19, 2026, alongside a digital rental/purchase release on platforms including Amazon Prime Video.

Reception

CineMagazine rated the film 2.5 stars. Eli Robinson said the film "may stumble in its pacing: by telegraphing the overall route of its narrative ahead of time, these very imperfections contribute to its enigmatic charm." Evan Attivo of Night Frights Film Festival said, "delivers a special horror experience on Screambox for the inner child inside all of us, calling to mind our own memories of what it was like getting up early in the morning to watch our favorite television shows, while showing that traditional genre tropes can feel like something we have never seen before when we are exposed to new and unusual ways of storytelling in the horror genre."

References

  1. ↑ Tangonan, E. J. (2026-04-27). "A children's show becomes a psychological nightmare in the trailer for Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round". JoBlo. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  2. ↑ "MONKEY'S MAGIC MERRY GO ROUND Trailer Turns Kids TV Into a Twisted Horror Ride". GeekTyrant. 2026-05-17. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  3. ↑ Navarro, Meagan (2026-04-24). "'Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round' Trailer Plunges Kids TV Show Host Into Surreal Nightmare". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  4. ↑ Cranswick, Amie (2026-04-27). "Get ready for Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round with trailer for children's TV horror". Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  5. ↑ Coloma, Ron Rocky (2024-10-16). "New Horror Film From Joe Swanberg, 'Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round', Set For AFM Debut -". mxdwn Movies. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  6. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2024-10-15). "Joe Swanberg-Produced Horror Film 'Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round' Heads To AFM With Great Escape". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  7. ↑ Piepenburg, Erik (2026-05-22). "Five Horror Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
  8. ↑ Crins, Sjoerd. "Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round (2024)". CineMagazine. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Eli. "Fantastic Film Fest 2025 Review - Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round". RMITV. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Attivo, Evan. "'Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round' Review: Childhood Nostalgia Meets Psychological Horror". Night Frights LA. Retrieved 16 September 2026.