WhileMr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Moviewasn’t perfect, it did manage to do one important thing better than almost any other modern film.Mr. Monk’s Last Casewas an appreciated return to the character of Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) over a decade after the ending ofMonk, but it had its fair share of problems. For example,Mr. Monk’s Last Caserehashed the same formulathe show featured and itrecast yet anotherMonkcharacter. That being said, it did offer a new view ofAdrian’s mental health problems, and it cemented itself as a worthwhile sequel toMonk.
The best part ofMr. Monk’s Last Case, however, wasn’t how it continued Adrian’s story. In fact,Mr. Monk’s Last Casewasn’t even as good as some of thebest episodes ofMonk. What really made theMonkmovie special didn’t just make it a goodMonkrevival, it made it one of the best examples of a niche genre ever made. That was howMr. Monk’s Last Casehandled the COVID-19 pandemic, and it knocked that particular aspect out of the park, especially in comparison to its competition.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case Was One Of The Best COVID-19 Movies I’ve Ever Seen
The Monk Movie Handled COVID With Nuance, Sensitivity, & Grace, Which Is A Lot More Than Other Films Have Going For Them
The one area that really setMr. Monk’s Last Caseapart from the show and made it shine on its own was the COVID-19 pandemic.Unlike many other COVID movies, likeThe BubbleorKimi,Mr. Monk’s Last Casehandled the pandemic with grace, sensitivity, and a lot of wit. COVID wasn’t some cheap prop forMonkto use as a punchline. It was a real, devastating event that had dramatic consequences for Adrian’s mental health. After all,Mr. Monk’s Last Casewas much darkerthan the show, and it certainly didn’t dance around the abject horror of the pandemic or the lingering effects of lockdown.
Unlike many other COVID movies, like The Bubble or Kimi, Mr. Monk’s Last Case handled the pandemic with grace, sensitivity, and a lot of wit.
Even whenMr. Monk’s Last Casedid use lockdown as a joke, it didn’t come across as cheap laughs at the expense of a horrendous calamity. For example,Mr. Monk’s Last Casemade some jokes about how everyone was a germaphobe and had “become” Adrian, but those jokes were more about Adrian the character than they were about COVID. Adrian even mentioned that being so concerned about diseases is a living nightmare, so even the movie’s lighter moments were tinged with this serious take on the pandemic. The result was a surprisingly nuanced and sensitive reckoning with the “new normal” that other COVID movies simply don’t feature.
The Monk Movie 2 Needs To Find Another Way To Update Adrian For The Modern Day
The Monk Movie’s Handling Of COVID Was The Best Part Of The Film, But Monk 2 Needs Something New
The wayMr. Monk’s Last Casehandled COVID-19 was one of the best parts of the film, but it won’t work for thelong-rumoredMonk Movie 2. It’s clear thatMonk 2needs something to make Adrian relevant to current events. However, for better or worse, the pandemic is becoming a more distant memory every day, and COVID just isn’t as relevant now as it was in 2023.Monk 2needs to focus on a different part of modern life and all the ways the world has changed sinceMonkended to give the sequel a chance to offer another mature and unique take on current events.
To be completely honest, I don’t know exactly what topicMonk 2could use to replace its commentary on COVID-19. Perhaps it could see Adrian interact with anti-vaxxers or struggle with his relationship to an increasingly controversial police force.Whatever topicMonk 2chooses, I want to see the sequel find a way to adapt Adrian’s well-established character traits to the modern day and offer just as much social commentary as it does humor. If it can do that, then the sequel toMr. Monk’s Last Casecould be just as good as the original.
