Monkey Man - Review: A Brutal and Punishing Debut

 

Barreling into cinemas proudly and confidently thumping its chest, Dev Patel’s (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Green Knight”) directorial debut, which he also produced, stars in, and co-wrote alongside Paul Angunawela (“Keith Lemon: The Film”) and John Collee (“Hotel Mumbai,” “Happy Feet”), “Monkey Man” is far more than just an “Indian John Wick” knock-off. It’s brutal, bloody, and unforgiving in ways that series and other action films aren’t, crafting a tone and work entirely its own. 

Following an unnamed man going by Kid, played by Patel, the film showcases his journey working odd jobs in India whilst moonlighting as an unnamed boxing heel known as Monkey Man, while secretly planning revenge against the military and the man who killed his mother and burned down his village as a child. 

Patel leads an impressive ensemble cast that breathes life into all facets of the Indian caste system as represented here. Sharlto Copley (“District 9,” “Elysium”) plays Tiger, the announcer of Kid’s nightly matches, Pitobash (“Million Dollar Arm,” “Shor in the City”) as Kid’s comedic accomplice in his quest Alphonso, Ashwini Kalsekar (“Jodha Akbar,” “Merry Christmas (2024)”) as Queenie, the matriarchal leader of a luxury brothel, Makarand Deshpande (“Darna Zaroori Hai,” “Dandupalya”) as Baba, a religious leader masquerading as an innocent man who’s actually giving the genocidal orders to the likes of Rana, played by Sikander Kher (“Aarya,” “Dukaan”). 

The whole cast is fantastic, and Patel really dives headfirst into an exceptionally physical role. He quite literally throws himself at most walls, structures, and fights with the sort of vigor that you’d typically only expect from someone who’s been doing this kind of action stunt work for decades. There’s a fresh-faced energy to the performance and the physicality of it all. Like the great every-man performances of times gone by, Patel’s ability to let himself get beat to hell and back and still come back from it is extremely endearing and works to build audience engagement with his tale. 

Everything here feels exceptionally gnarly and nasty, even for films that are always this traditionally violent. If John Wick and similar action films almost seem like the hero is bleeding too little, “Monkey Man” fixes this problem wholeheartedly. It does mean that, even for its genre, it can feel particularly unforgiving and mean, which could be a turnoff to some viewers. It prevents the movie from having a fun “blockbuster” effect like other similar action films, which while not affecting the quality, does mean it has less of a “throw it on at any moment” feeling. 

The cinematography, by Sharone Meir (“Whiplash,” “Silent Night”), is intense and chaotic, just as much as the fights and violence itself. It's gnarly and gets right up in the faces and spaces of the characters doing the swinging, resulting in some truly visceral and adrenaline pumping camerawork. This doesn’t just make for a great display of how to shoot action like this uniquely, but also as a window into the fractured psyche and headspace of the film’s protagonist. 

Underneath all of that, Patel has also managed to effortlessly weave a layer of queer representation to the events of the film. There’s a group of hijra refugees that help him later in the film as well as a group of trans women warriors he fights alongside in the third act. It adds to the film’s themes of oppression and revolution while also further connecting it to the various Indian religious groups and individual communities, fleshing out the film further. These badass moments are enhanced even more thanks to a rocking score from composer Jed Kurzel (“The Babadook,” “Overlord”), blending rocking action instruments with classical Indian music stylings. 

After being plucked from Netflix from Universal and Jordan Peele for a broad theatrical release, Dev Patel’s directorial debut manages to be a bone crunching action flick with deep cultural ties and a rebellious spirit. It isn’t just in camera work or colors either, as the ideas of rebelling and fighting oppression are tied into the fabric of the film’s identity. “Monkey Man” might be punishing even by its genre’s standards, but it's still a thrilling and exceptional debut no matter what. 4/5