SimilarScreen
Spanking the Monkey

Spanking the Monkey

A gripping comedy about letting go.

19945.61h 46m

Overview

Bright young student Raymond Aibelli is forced to sidetrack an important medical internship because his mother, Susan, is recovering from a broken leg. When he isn't tasked with the most mundane aspects of Susan's recuperation, Raymond finds distraction in a neighborhood girl, Toni Peck. But, as Susan begins relying on her son for both physical and emotional needs, Raymond starts developing disturbing and unwanted new yearnings.

Directed by David O. Russell
Written by David O. Russell
Produced by Dean Silvers
Box OfficeBudget: $200K0

Top Cast

Jeremy Davies

Jeremy Davies

Ray Aibelli

Alberta Watson

Alberta Watson

Susan Aibelli

Benjamin Hendrickson

Benjamin Hendrickson

Tom Aibelli

Carla Gallo

Carla Gallo

Toni Peck

M

Matthew Puckett

Nicky

J

Judette Jones

Aunt Helen

Zak Orth

Zak Orth

Curtis

Josh Philip Weinstein

Josh Philip Weinstein

Joel

Judah Domke

Judah Domke

Don

L

Lleana Stratton

Fran Gibson

Themes & Keywords

adulteryincestinjuryneighborhoodrecuperationmother son incest

About Spanking the Monkey

Spanking the Monkey is a comedy, drama film released in 1994 exploring themes of adultery, incest, injury, neighborhood, recuperation, mother son incest. Directed by David O. Russell, it stars Jeremy Davies, Alberta Watson, Benjamin Hendrickson. Bright young student Raymond Aibelli is forced to sidetrack an important medical internship because his mother, Susan, is recovering from a broken leg. When he isn't tasked with the most mundane aspects of Susan's recuperation, Raymond finds distraction in a neighborhood girl, Toni Peck. But, as Susan begins relying on her son for both physical and emotional needs, Raymond starts developing disturbing and unwanted new yearnings.

Movies Similar to Spanking the Monkey

Discover titles like Spanking the Monkey — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Spanking the Monkey

If you enjoyed Spanking the Monkey, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Spanking the Monkey.

Lymelife
26% Match

Lymelife(2008)

Movie6.1/10

A coming of age dramedy where infidelity, real estate, and Lyme disease have two families falling apart on Long Island in the early eighties. Scott, 15, is at the point in his life when he finds out that the most important people around him, his father, his mother, and his brother, are not exactly who he thought they were. They are flawed and they are human.

American Beauty
26% Match

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

Terms of Endearment
25% Match

Aurora, a finicky woman, is in search of true love while her daughter faces marital issues. Together, they help each other deal with problems and find reasons to live a joyful life.

Exploits of a Young Don Juan
25% Match

In 1914, sixteen year old Roger returned home from boarding school during vacation to find his puberty hit hard in a house filled with beautiful women. These women have previous engagements with other men who are away, and during this time, Roger impregnates them all, including his aunt and sister, then devises plans to cuckold the men.

The Magic of Belle Isle
25% Match

In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.

That's My Boy
23% Match

While in his teens, Donny fathered a son, Todd, and raised him as a single parent up until Todd's 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd's world comes crashing down when Donny resurfaces just before Todd's wedding.

My Own Private Idaho
23% Match

In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.

Once Were Warriors
23% Match

In a violent relationship, it takes a mother’s strength to save herself and her children from the man she loved. Once Were Warriors is a violent love story set against a contemporary urban backdrop.

To Die For
22% Match

To Die For(1995)

Movie6.6/10

Suzanne Stone wants to be a world-famous news anchor and she is willing to do anything to get what she wants. What she lacks in intelligence, she makes up for in cold determination and diabolical wiles. As she pursues her goal with relentless focus, she is forced to destroy anything and anyone that may stand in her way, regardless of the ultimate cost or means necessary.

Grill Point
22% Match

Christian is a presenter at a small radio station. His wife Katrin directs traffic in a car park. Both are friends with Uwe, who runs a fast food kiosk, and Ellen, who works in a perfume shop. Their four lives are stuck in a rut. Until the day Chris and Ellen sleep together and upset the balance of the two couples...

Something's Gotta Give
22% Match

When perpetually single, aging music industry exec Harry Sanborn, and his latest trophy girlfriend, Marin, arrive at her mother's beach house in the Hamptons, they find that her mother, playwright Erica Barry, also plans to stay for the weekend. Erica is scandalized by the relationship and Harry's sexist ways. But when Harry has a heart attack while there, and the doctor prescribes bedrest, his only option is to stay at the Barry home. Left in the care of Erica and his doctor, a love triangle starts to take shape.

Lost in Translation
21% Match

Two lost souls visiting Tokyo -- the young, neglected wife of a photographer and a washed-up movie star shooting a TV commercial -- find an odd solace and pensive freedom to be real in each other's company, away from their lives in America.