Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023)

Germs, Grief, and a Weird Goodbye

Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

🎶 Theme Song Callback

Yes, Randy Newman’s “It’s a Jungle Out There” makes its return. And honestly? That’s probably the most comforting part of the whole movie.


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🕵️ Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Released in 2023, Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie brings Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) back after more than a decade off the air. The hook is timely — maybe too timely: Monk, the ultimate germaphobe, has to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. On paper? That’s hilarious and fitting. In practice? The whole thing feels oddly forced.

The story centers around Monk investigating the death of Molly’s fiancé. Molly (Caitlin McGee), Trudy’s daughter, has become Monk’s surrogate family. Her fiancé is killed in a suspicious accident tied to a tech billionaire. Monk, still wracked with grief and trauma, takes on “one last case” — even though he’s more fragile than ever.

The film tries to balance comedy, mystery, and emotional closure, but ends up feeling tonally all over the place.


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👥 Character Rundown

Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub): Still brilliant, still broken, but here he feels more like a parody of himself. His OCD is cranked up, but his sharpness often takes a backseat.

Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine): Now retired and surprisingly mellow. He spends part of the movie working security for the villain, which feels… wrong.

Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford): Still goofy, but sidelined. His subplot is barely explored, even though fans wanted to see him shine.

Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard): Caring as ever, but more of a background comfort character here than a driving force.

Molly Evans (Caitlin McGee): Trudy’s daughter, grown up and engaged — her loss kicks the plot into gear.

Rick Eden (James Purefoy): The tech billionaire villain. Slick, smug, and one-note. He murders to protect his wealth and reputation, but never feels threatening.



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⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow

The movie’s pacing is messy. Instead of feeling like a tight two-hour “super episode,” it stretches thin. There’s too much focus on COVID gimmicks (Monk sanitizing obsessively, panicking in public) and not enough actual detective work. By the time Monk pieces the mystery together, it feels less like deduction and more like the script just handing him the answer.


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✅ Pros

Tony Shalhoub slips back into Monk like he never left.

Seeing the old gang together again has nostalgic charm.

A few emotional beats with Molly and Monk actually land.

The core idea (Monk finally finding closure) is solid.



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❌ Cons

Leaning on COVID as a gimmick feels lazy and already dated.

Supporting characters (Leland, Randy, Natalie) are underused.

The villain is bland and unthreatening.

The mystery is weak — Monk doesn’t earn the solution, he just stumbles on it.

The ending feels rushed and anticlimactic.



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💭 Final Thoughts

The show ended beautifully in 2009 with “Mr. Monk and the End.” This movie? Feels unnecessary. Instead of expanding Monk’s story, it narrows him into a caricature, overplaying his phobias while undercutting the detective brilliance that made him compelling. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t live up to the legacy.


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⭐ Rating

5/10


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning

From here on, full spoilers for Mr. Monk’s Last Case.


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💥 Spoilers – Full Breakdown

The Setup

The film opens with Monk struggling in the COVID-19 era. His germophobia has worsened, and he’s socially isolated. Molly is his tether to the world, and her engagement brings him joy… until tragedy strikes. Her fiancé dies in a plane crash that Monk immediately suspects wasn’t an accident.

The Villain: Rick Eden

Enter Rick Eden, a tech billionaire (basically an Elon Musk knockoff). Eden orchestrated the crash to protect his empire. His motive is paper-thin: he feared financial exposure and liability that Molly’s fiancé threatened to uncover. Instead of feeling like a grand adversary, he’s just a smarmy rich guy with goons.

Leland’s Retirement (and Odd Job)

Captain Leland Stottlemeyer is retired — but instead of being Monk’s right-hand man, he’s shown working security for Eden. It’s a bizarre choice that puts him in opposition to Monk for part of the story. Eventually, he sides with Monk again, but the setup just feels wrong for his character.

Randy’s Cameo

Randy Disher shows up but doesn’t do much. His subplot (living in New Jersey, still goofy) is mostly filler. Fans hoping for “The Randy Disher Project” callbacks or something substantial? Nope.

The Investigation

Monk tries to dig into Eden but is constantly undermined by his own fear of germs. COVID precautions dominate scenes — masks, sanitizer, isolation. While realistic, it overshadows the mystery. By the time Monk nails Eden, it feels less like brilliant deduction and more like inevitability.

Monk Poisoned (Again)

Yes, they recycle the “Monk is poisoned” plot. Eden tries to take Monk out, echoing the series finale. Leland and Natalie step in to save him. It’s effective for tension but feels like déjà vu rather than clever homage.

The Ending

Monk proves Eden’s guilt, and the billionaire is arrested. Molly mourns her fiancé but thanks Monk for uncovering the truth. The movie ends with Monk reflecting on Trudy, Molly, and the strange “family” he’s built. It tries to close on a hopeful note, but it doesn’t feel earned.


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🪦 Why It Fell Flat

At its core, Mr. Monk’s Last Case fumbles because it trades heart and mystery for gimmick and nostalgia. COVID as a hook is already outdated. The mystery lacks bite. And the characters we loved for eight seasons are sidelined.

The finale of the show gave Monk bittersweet closure. This film reopens the wound without giving us anything deeper. It’s not the worst revival ever, but it’s far from the return Monk deserved.