Synopsis

Alan Furnace, a quiet London schoolteacher and hospital radio DJ, falls for Beatrice, a seductive jewel thief known as B. Monkey. Hoping to leave crime behind, she begins a new life with him, but her former partners and dangerous criminal connections keep pulling her back. Their romance becomes a volatile struggle between domestic stability, criminal loyalty, and the thrill of living outside the law.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Andrew Davies' 1992 novel of the same name.

• B. Monkey combines crime drama, romance, dark comedy, and neo-noir elements, shifting between London's criminal underworld and the more restrained world of Alan's teaching career.

• The production was developed with Michael Caton-Jones originally attached to direct, but he later left because of creative differences.

• The soundtrack draws heavily on jazz and includes music associated with Django Reinhardt and Chet Baker, alongside tracks by Portishead, Suede, Curve, and Barry White.

• The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on November 7, 1998, before receiving a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 10, 1999.

• Miramax handled the film's distribution, while the production was mounted through British and American companies.