A breezy, sun-bleached crime comedy with a strong lead performance and enough eccentricity to keep it moving, but it’s more enjoyable as a shaggy hangout than as a tightly plotted mystery. The first season is the main draw: if you like offbeat Florida noir, deadpan banter, and a lightly absurd tone, it’s worth a look.
57% ★★★☆☆ (29,517)
Bad Monkey
Where to watch: Apple
TV Show · Comedy · Crime
2024 · ★ 57% (29.5K)
The shady side of paradise.
Starring: Vince Vaughn, L. Scott Caldwell, Rob Delaney
Overview
A detective turned restaurant inspector in Southern Florida is pulled into a world of greed and corruption after a tourist finds a severed arm while fishing. And yes, there's a monkey.
Production
Warner Bros. Television, Doozer
Cast
Vince Vaughn, L. Scott Caldwell, Rob Delaney, Meredith Hagner, Natalie Martinez, Alex Moffat, Michelle Monaghan, Ronald Peet, Jodie Turner-Smith
Where to watch
Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, sun-bleached crime comedy with a strong lead performance and enough eccentricity to keep it moving, but it’s more enjoyable as a shaggy hangout than as a tightly plotted mystery. The first season is the main draw: if you like offbeat Florida noir, deadpan banter, and a lightly absurd tone, it’s worth a look.
Best for
Fans of crime stories with a comic edge
Viewers who like Florida-set noir and eccentric ensembles
People who enjoy easygoing, character-driven streaming series
Audiences looking for a lighter alternative to hard-boiled detective dramas
Skip if
You want a serious, tightly engineered mystery
You dislike broad humor mixed into crime plots
You prefer fast, high-stakes thrillers with constant momentum
You’re looking for a fully polished prestige drama
Overview
Bad Monkey has the laid-back, sun-faded confidence of a show that knows its appeal is mostly in the ride. It pairs a cynical investigation with a goofy, sometimes shaggy sense of humor, and Vince Vaughn gives it a relaxed, likable center that keeps the whole thing from drifting away. The Florida setting is a big part of the charm: humid, corrupt, and weird in all the right ways.
Worth noting
The series works best when it leans into its oddball supporting characters and the sense that everyone is compromised in some small, entertaining way. It’s less satisfying if you expect a razor-sharp mystery, since the plotting can feel secondary to the vibe and the banter. Still, the first season is easy to watch and often amusing, with enough momentum to reward a weekend binge.
Bottom line
If Bill Lawrence’s lighter touch usually works for you, this lands in the sweet spot between crime caper and character comedy. It’s not essential viewing, but it is a pleasant, well-cast detour with enough personality to stand out from more generic streaming procedurals.
2016 · ★ 56% (57.1K) · Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
A sun-drenched crime family saga with plenty of scheming, bad decisions, and escalating consequences.
Themes
crime and corruption, Florida noir, dark comedy, investigation, moral compromise, eccentric ensemble, greed and greed-driven violence, small-town coastal decay