Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie

By: Sammi Turano

“Monk” has returned after being off the air for more than a decade. Originally airing on USA Network, it has now moved to Peacock in the form of a movie. Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie is directed by Randy Zisk and created by Andy Breckman, both of whom do a wonderful job showing how Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is navigating life in a post-COVID world.

The movie reunites Monk with Randy (Jason Gray-Stanford), Natalie (Traylor Howard) and Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) as his stepdaughter Molly (Caitlin McGee) prepares for her wedding. Things take a dark turn when her fiancé Griffin (Austin Scott) is killed, leading the gang to go back to their roots and solve the case. While Monk tries to prove that Griffin was murdered and his death was not an accident, Monk himself faces his own dark issues, relying on the ghost of his late wife Trudy (Melora Hardin) to help him find his purpose. We also get to see what everyone is up to these days, including Dr. Bell (Hector Elizondo), who continues to play a pivotal role in Monk’s life.

While the movie takes on some unexpected, heavy topics, it also has some heartwarming moments. The biggest standout is Melora Hardin. She appears in the movie several times as Trudy’s ghost, helping Monk realize that despite no longer working and having his support system, he still has a purpose and has helped more people than he ever realized. The message of hope is subtle, yet beautiful, allowing our beloved Monk to live his life with a new companion…a dog named Watson.

Tony Shalhoub was another standout in the movie. Returning as the titular character, he showed Monk in a very different light. He is living in a post-COVID world, still dealing with his OCD and phobias, but this time he is without his job or support system. This leads to him longing to be with Trudy and planning on ending his life. Shalhoub takes on the issue in a very sensitive, respectful way that allows viewers to feel and understand why he ended up in such a dark place.

Randy Zisk did a fantastic job as director of this movie. He was able to bring the characters back as if no time had passed while still showing how they all grew as people. He also managed to add several Easter eggs from the original series (including a shout out to the Randy Disher Project and a flashback to the pilot), giving fans even more nostalgia. While everyone all has new lives, he was able to keep them the same in terms of personality and being the same people that we grew to love over the eight years the show was on the air.

Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie was a beautiful way to reunite the cast and give fans what they have been wanting for years—to see another case! While it deals with many dark subjects, it still has the same funny, sweet moments that fans have loved since day one about the show that started it all. I would highly recommend watching Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, but would advise that it deals with topics of suicide, which may be triggering to some viewers.