Bad Monkey Review: Vince Vaughn’s Easy-Going Detective Drama Is Tons of Fun

Most Apple TV+ shows share common traits: big budgets, A-list actors, and fairly competent storytelling. Despite notable exceptions like Severance and Slow Horses, many shows on the platform tend to be forgettable. They’re entertaining but often feel fleeting, much like the sleek electronic products that have propelled Apple to success.

Bad Monkey, starring Vince Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, a disgraced detective in the Florida Keys, follows this familiar pattern. Yancy is suspended from his job after ramming his lover’s husband’s golf cart into the water. Despite his suspension, Yancy enjoys his simple life, resisting the sale of a neighboring megamansion and relaxing with a drink by the waves.

The tranquility of Yancy’s life shatters when a severed arm is discovered by a honeymooner fishing in the Keys. Yancy’s ex-partner, Rogelio (John Ortiz), brings the arm to him. The police and morgue refuse to handle it, so it becomes Yancy’s responsibility. Rogelio uses this as bait to lure Yancy back into detective work. After unsuccessfully attempting to offload the arm on a flirtatious Miami forensic pathologist, Yancy ends up storing it in his freezer.

Recently suspended cops tend to jump at any opportunity to get back in action. Yancy quickly becomes engrossed in the mystery. Was the arm lost in a shark attack? Or is something more sinister at play? Why does the widow Eve (Meredith Hagner) seem indifferent to her husband’s fate? Does the cult-like church attended by the victim’s daughter hold any clues? And what are we to make of Rob Delaney’s impressive moustache?

Meanwhile, in the Bahamas, Neville (Ronald Peet) and his pet monkey Driggs lead a laid-back life until their peace is threatened by U.S. property developers. These developers plan to bulldoze Neville’s home to make way for a five-star resort. The show’s narrator acknowledges the potential confusion caused by the dual storylines, assuring viewers by the end of the first episode that the two plots are indeed connected.

The series creator, Bill Lawrence, known for Scrubs and Ted Lasso, brings his signature touch to Bad Monkey. The show is a decent, solid comedy-mystery where underdogs like Neville and Yancy battle against larger adversaries. Neville fights to protect his home, while Yancy navigates the complexities of detective work, cutting a few corners along the way. By the end of the second episode, the show starts to find more character, introducing a Dragon Queen in the Bahamas who curses the property developer tormenting Neville. The narrative includes femme fatales, drive-by shootings, and Vaughn’s character cycling around, engaging with various quirky personalities.

Bad Monkey is fun, light, and evokes a desire for a vacation. With Vince Vaughn and Apple’s significant resources, there’s a sense that the show could offer just a bit more magic.

• Bad Monkey is on Apple TV+.

Source: The Guardian