‘Bad Monkey’: Vince Vaughn Is a Perfect Neo-Noir Sleuth in Quirky Crime Comedy

Alci Rengifo

Vince Vaughn reveals he was a noir archetype all along in Apple TV’s “Bad Monkey.” He brings a droll demeanor to the mystery that keeps it energetic. Stories like this are about the ambiance. Florida has always attracted crime novelists because of the sultry air, sun-drenched laziness mixed with promises of temptation and dangerous scheming. All of this can also prove to be funny and “Bad Monkey” attempts to find a balance between grinning and gasping. And for once, the studio delivers a crime dramedy that isn’t absolutely despairing. At the same time, the story can feel bare bones. Vaughn carries us through, rolling his eyes and taking names.

“Ted Lasso” creator Bill Lawrence oversees this adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s 2013 novel. Vaughn is perfectly cast as Andrew Yancy, a detective based in the Keys. He’s currently on suspension after ramming into a golf cart being driven by his lover’s husband. When the department has had enough, Andrew is let go and relegated to being a health inspector. Luck seems to smile on him when a tourist goes fishing and reels in a severed arm. Andrew’s former partner in the force, Rogelio (John Ortiz), warns him to stay away, but the disgraced detective is determined to prove this was a murder. When he’s tasked with taking the arm to Miami and nothing more, he can’t help himself and embarks on his own dive into clues, suspects and big danger. 

“Bad Monkey” becomes enjoyable in how its pacing and style allow us to bask in spending time with its personalities. Most good neo-noirs are not always about following every detail of the plot, because it’s the colorful personalities and scenarios that drive the story forward. The classic archetypes are all here. Few people can be trusted. Andrew discovers the severed arm belonged to a businessman, Nick Stripling, whose widow, Eve (Meredith Hagner), goes on a cackling spending binge. In a noir, younger wives of rich men are dangerous indeed. Caitlin (Charlotte Lawrence) is the recovering addict stepdaughter, now attending a megachurch, convinced Eve had something to do with her father’s death, for the money of course. There are also modern takes on sidekicks and side players. Andrew’s main support in chasing the case is a Miami medical examiner, Rosa Campesino (Natalie Martinez), written with a nice combination of verve and comedic timing. Andrew is lucky to have her around when they break into a house searching for more leads and nearly ruin the shower. 

Lawrence and team are efficient at keeping the show from slagging even when it adds a second storyline. Running parallel to Andrew’s case is the story of Neville (Ronald Peet), a Black Caribbean fisherman who owns the titular bad monkey. The monkey itself is a hilariously cute side character named Driggs, who is rumored to have appeared in one of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. Neville is on a quest to find Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), a practitioner of Obeah. We get to know her through detours in the narrative to scenes where she dispenses advice and carries out healing or spell-casting traditions. Neville is hoping to find her for a purpose the show takes its time to unspool, but certain that it will bring positive change to his life. Eventually it does all begin to connect and Neville first crosses paths with Andrew when the latter comes across Driggs during a health inspection.

“Bad Monkey” does keep alive the Apple tradition of asking viewers to sit through almost half the season before the plot itself gets moving. But the banter is good enough for those who become hooked. Vaughn has real chemistry with Martinez as they drive down beachside towns and argue, ponder and connect the dots. A wise move is in letting the wackier forms of comedy swirl around Vaughn. Because he really gained fame through a brand of adult-oriented comedy that’s been out of vogue, Vaughn’s range has been easily forgotten. Before the rom-coms or raunch-coms, Vaughn starred in major dramas like “Return to Paradise,” and even Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot remake of “Psycho.” Here, he has obviously matured but is capable of excellent, dry humor. In the early episodes, he lugs the severed arm around like a short-sleeved version of Warren Oates in “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.” As the temperature is rising everywhere, “Bad Monkey” is a decent enough series fit for the season. Vaughn helps us melt away with its strange currents.

“Bad Monkey” begins streaming Aug. 14 with new episodes premiering Wednesdays on Apple TV+.