Monkey Business
A distracted chemist's accidental fountain-of-youth experiment turns a suburban marriage into a gleeful battle of temporary regressions and romantic misunderstandings.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- breezy
- boisterous
- classic movie night
- lighthearted date night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize the film's talented performers and occasional comic energy while finding the screwball premise labored and inconsistently funny.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The experimental fountain-of-youth formula temporarily makes Barnaby and Edwina behave as younger versions of themselves.
Edwina's regression and her old boyfriend's mistaken interpretation threaten the Fultons' marriage.
A chemical mixture added to the company water cooler inadvertently triggers the film's central transformation.
20th Century Fox production, Howard Hawks's direction, and the Cary Grant-Ginger Rogers pairing frame the speculative premise as polished Hollywood comedy.
Films like Monkey Business, and why
Bringing Up Baby
shared screwball comedy, romantic misunderstandings, marriage-centered farce, and charismatic comic performances
His Girl Friday
shared Howard Hawks direction, rapid-fire comic situations, romantic conflict, and polished studio farce
The Nutty Professor
shared science-fiction premise used for romantic comedy, transformation-based humor, and mid-century studio style
The Awful Truth
shared marital comedy, mistaken identity, and escalating domestic complications in a classic Hollywood setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Howard Hawks
- Release Date
- 1952-09-03
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (308)
Cast
- Cary Grant
- Ginger Rogers
- Charles Coburn
- Marilyn Monroe
- Hugh Marlowe
- Henri Letondal
- Robert Cornthwaite
- Larry Keating
- Douglas Spencer
- Esther Dale
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Monkey Business about?
- A distracted chemist's accidental fountain-of-youth experiment turns a suburban marriage into a gleeful battle of temporary regressions and romantic misunderstandings.
- What is Monkey Business like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Monkey Business as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Monkey Business violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Monkey Business.
- What did critics think of Monkey Business?
- Critics broadly recognize the film's talented performers and occasional comic energy while finding the screwball premise labored and inconsistently funny.
- Which films are like Monkey Business?
- Films with a similar feel include Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, The Nutty Professor, and The Awful Truth.
- How long is Monkey Business?
- Monkey Business runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Monkey Business?
- In United States, Monkey Business is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
