Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie is a 2023 streaming film that serves as a sequel to the USA Network television series Monk. It stars Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprising their roles as Adrian Monk, Natalie Teeger, Leland Stottlemeyer, and Randy Disher, respectively. It also features Hector Elizondo reprising his role as Neven Bell, Melora Hardin reprising her role as Trudy Monk, and appearances by Richard Kind and James Purefoy. The film is directed by regular Monk director Randy Zisk.

The film was released on December 8, 2023 on the streaming platform Peacock.

Synopsis[]

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic (which he had a significant amount of difficulty handling), Monk has hit rock bottom: the stress of lockdown reignited his obsessive-compulsive habits, and he loses a book deal about his career—the money from which he had hoped to use to fund his stepdaughter Molly Evans' wedding to her fiancée Griffin. Monk begins to have conversations in his mind with spirit of Trudy. Monk contemplates ending his own life while Trudy tries to dissuade him. However, his suicidal plans are stalled when Griffin is killed in a suspicious accident and Molly begs for his help, prompting him to take on what he believes to be his final case.

Plot[]

After failing to get his book published in an effort to earn money to pay for Molly's wedding, Adrian Monk begins to have suicidal thoughts, continuously staved off by the visage of Trudy who tells him to stay firm. Monk is reunited with Natalie, now remarried, and Randy who has just become a father, for Molly's wedding to journalist Griffin Briggs. Griffin suspects billionaire Rick Eden of murdering his business partner while they were scuba diving. Eden attempts to bribe him, but he refuses. Griffin prepares to bungee jump before his wedding, but the next morning when he jumps, the bungee cord is too long and he dies.

Monk is at the park, having a conversation with Trudy's spirit. Soon after, Monk finds out from Randy of Griffin's death and goes to Molly to comfort her from her loss.

A week later, Griffin's death is ruled an accident but Molly suspects Eden for murder, knowing that he attempted to bribe Griffin. After some reluctance, Monk decides to take the case. Molly reveals that she overheard someone saying that the rope was "six feet too long". They further discovered that someone broke into Griffin's workshop, but nothing was stolen. Suspicious that someone would automatically know that, Molly adds that she noticed that the man who said it had white painted fingernails. Knowing that it is a habit for softball players, Randy manages to discover that the man is Lucas Kubrick, a delivery driver at Eden Express.

Monk, Natalie, and Randy go to see Eden and learn that Stottlemeyer is now the head of his security. They are greeted by Rick Eden and his trophy wife, Skyler. When Monk confronts Eden over the allegations, Stottlemeyer restrains him as he wants to keep his new job but Monk notices sticky notes and magazines of Griffin in Eden's office. Soon after, Monk meets with the new head of homicide, Lisa Rudner, who wishes that he rejoin as a consultant, but he politely rebuffs her. Monk wants to talk to Kubrick but they are unable to touch him as Kubrick has lawyered up. Monk and Molly look into Griffin's list of people who were witnesses to the murder of Eden's business partner and that Griffin figured that those who were connected to that incident had been paid off. Soon after, Monk discovers Griffin's wedding vows from the tuxedo and reads it to Molly, who breaks down in tears.

Meanwhile, Stottlemeyer notices Eden with Kubrick at the launch site from the security footage, reaffirming Monk's suspicions. Monk speaks with Dr. Bell, who reveals that he retired two months ago and was seeing him out of empathy, where Monk sees a newspaper clip about a dog shelter that had been threatened by a bomber. After Monk and Nathalie visit the dog shelter, he recognizes the writing as Eden's from the sticky notes, and spots Kubrick on a delivery. Realizing that Eden plans to bomb Kubrick, making it look like a failed bomb on the dog shelter, Monk and Natalie attempt to save him, but are too late as Kubrick is killed in an explosion.

Stottlemeyer, finally on Monk's side, reaffirms that Eden is "the guy" and has Monk sneak into Eden's party so that he can steal his laptop which contains vital information. Disguised as a bartender, Monk is however caught right away. Eden confesses, but he does not divulge how he murdered Griffin. Eden tries to bride Monk, but Monk refuses. Monk steals the laptop, but is chased after by Eden who pushes him off the cliff. He is discreetly rescued and reunites with Molly who tells him to give up on the case as she does not want to lose him too. Monk once again begins to think of suicide and heads to a funeral home to look at caskets. When he notices that two directors, who are also twins, have slightly different shaped heads, Monk finally puts the case together.

Here's What Happened[]

Just as Eden is about to launch off to orbit the earth, Monk and the rest of the team arrive and stop the launch. Monk reveals how it happened: Eden had done his research on Griffin who was considered a perfectionist with a passion for bungee jumping. He sent Kubrick to break into Griffin's workshop and replace the tape measurer with a new one where the inches were slightly off, resulting in it being longer than usual. Griffin measured his cord with a bad tape measurer, leading him in his death.

Stottlemeyer happily quits and Eden is placed under arrest for the murder of Griffin and his business partner. Eden asks Monk why he refused to take the bribe, which Monk answers he was thinking about his wife and Molly, and how Eden broke Molly's heart.

Monk returns to the park to prepare for his suicide, but is stopped by Trudy's spirit who brings Griffin and the numerous other people whom he helped. One of them is a woman whose case has not been solved yet. Realizing that he has made a difference, Monk resumes life and decides to become a consultant again.

Later, Natalie adopts a surly dog from the shelter whom she noticed had the habits similar to Monk's and gifts it to him. Monk smiles at the gesture.

Gallery[]

Background[]

Caitlin McGee replaces Alona Tal in the role of Monk's stepdaughter Molly.
Series creator Andy Breckman previously pitched a Monk-sequel movie Mr. Monk for Mayor, which never made it beyond the script stage.
The film opens with footage from Mr. Monk and the Candidate.
Beth, the publisher, is played by Brooke Adams, Tony Shalhoub's wife. She is the most prolific guest actress in the series, playing different side characters in Mr. Monk and the Airplane, Mr. Monk and the Kid, Mr. Monk Visits a Farm, Mr. Monk's 100th Case, and Mr. Monk and the Badge.

"What are you doing?"[]

In every episode of Monk and the Monk Movie, at least once, some variation of the question, "What are you doing?" is asked.

Time	Quote	From	To	RE
0:06	What are you doing?	Trudy	Monk	Monk opening a window to jump out.
0:11	What are you doing?	Lady at baggage claim	Monk	Monk rearranging her bags by size. "You'll thank me later."
0:22	What are you doing now?	Griffin	Molly	Molly looking at Griffin's phone.
0:33	What are you going to do?	Natalie	Monk	On the bridge, Disher going to investigate. Monk "thinking maybe I'll close my eyes."
0:37	What are you doing here?	Gate guard	Disher	The gate guards are huge fans of the Randy Disher Project.
0:43	What the hell are you doing?	Stottlemeyer	Monk	Monk making accusations against Rick Eden, Stottlemeyer's boss.
0:59	What's he doing?	Natalie	Erica	Watson, the dog, cleaning his pen.
1:02	What are you doing?	Monk	Natalie	Natalie very slowly turning her car round.
1:08	What are you doing?	Party guest	Monk	Monk, in disguise as a bartender, taking forever to make a drink.
1:09	What are you doing?	Stottlemeyer	Monk	Monk still working at the bar instead of sneaking into the house.