Parents' Guide to

Bad Monkey

TV Apple TV+ Comedy 2024
Bad Monkey TV show poster: Vince Vaughn looks over his sunglasses while eating a popsicle with a monkey on his shoulder

Common Sense Media Review

Marty Brown By Marty Brown , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Violence, profanity in low-key Vince Vaughn comedic mystery.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Bad Monkey TV show screenshot 1: former detective Yancy and coroner Rosa stand in front of a police car
  • Bad Monkey TV show screenshot 2: in the Bahamas, Neville (Ronald Peet) stares across the water with a monkey on his shoulder
  • Bad Monkey TV show screenshot 3: suspects Eve and Christopher relax on the beach

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Katherine R.
Katherine R. Parent of 12, 14, 18+, 18+, 18+ and 5-year-old
August 24, 2024
age 17+

Duend3cita
Duend3cita Parent of 17-year-old
August 17, 2024
age 16+

See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BAD MONKEY follows former detective Andrew Yancey (Vince Vaughn) as he tries to find the story behind a severed arm dredged up from the ocean. The arm takes Yancey back and forth between the Florida Keys, Miami, and the Bahamas, as he stumbles into a plot involving a deceitful wife and a lot of money.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though this adaptation's comedic tone is familiar, it's the rare show where the familiarity is a selling point. Bad Monkey taps into a strain of comedy that includes everything from the recent Confess, Fletch to Shane Black's The Nice Guys and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to the dear, departed series Terriers. The mystery is convoluted but breezy, and Vaughn is charming if you're into Vince Vaughn. The dialogue is sharp and occasionally even actually funny. It's not going to win any awards, but it might just be the perfect late-summer watch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about detective stories. How is Bad Monkey similar to or different from other mystery series? How does Vince Vaughn's detective character compare to other detectives?

  • What is the mystery at the heart of the series? What are the clues? What do you think happened?

TV Details

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