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Spanking the Monkey
1994 106 min United States of America
★6.9
Comedy, Drama
Director: David O. Russell
Trailers
Description
Bright young student Raymond Aibelli is forced to sidetrack an important medical internship because his mother, Susan, is recovering from a broken leg. When he isn't tasked with the most mundane aspects of Susan's recuperation, Raymond finds distraction in a neighborhood girl, Toni Peck. But, as Susan begins relying on her son for both physical and emotional needs, Raymond starts developing disturbing and unwanted new yearnings.
Budget:
$200,000
US Gross:
$1.36M
Starring
Jeremy Davies
Actor
Alberta Watson
Actor
Benjamin Hendrickson
Actor
Awards
Sundance Film Festival 1994
— Audience Award (Drama)
Sundance Film Festival 1994
— Grand Jury Prize (Drama)
Key opinion
Spanking the Monkey is an unsettling and provocative exploration of adolescent repression and Oedipal themes. While its transgressive subject matter polarizes viewers, many appreciate the film's raw, uncompromising psychological intensity.
| Theme | The film delivers a deeply uncomfortable and transgressive portrayal of adolescent psychological turmoil. | |
| Originality | The narrative relies on provocative, taboo-breaking subject matter to explore the strained dynamics between a mother and her son. | |
| Emotion | The film's exploration of repressed desire and family isolation creates a jarring experience that leaves viewers divided on whether it is a profound study of human nature or merely a sensationalist provocation. |