Should I Watch..? 'Monkey Man' (2024)

Monkey Man is an action thriller film released in 2024 and is the directorial debut for its writer and star, Dev Patel. The film follows an unnamed protagonist as he conducts a violent campaign of revenge against the corrupt city officials who oversaw his community forcibly relocated and his mother killed. The film also stars Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala and Makarand Deshpande. Patel first conceived the idea back in 2014 and production was dogged by several issues including the Covid pandemic in 2020 and Netflix trying to pull out of distribution in fear of the film's reaction in India due to its political messages. When it was eventually released thanks to producer Jordan Peele, the film received a positive response from critics who lauded Patel's vision and skills as a martial artist. It has so far earned in excess of $35 million worldwide and led to Patel receiving a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut as well as other accolades.

In a forest village outside the city of Yatana, a young boy and his mother Neela live a peaceful life inspired by the nature around them and the legend of Hanuman, a legendary humanoid ape and the god of wisdom, strength, devotion and self discipline. Spiritual guru Baba Shakti instructs the city's corrupt police force, led by Rana Singh, to evict the persecuted villagers and seize their land which leads to a violent confrontation. During the chaos and confusion when the village is attacked, the boy is saved by Neela who hides him upstairs as Rana himself beats her to death and sets fire to her. In a futile attempt to save her, the boy burns both of his hands.

Years later, the Kid has grown up to be enhancement talent at an underground fight club ran by African promoter Tiger. Determined one day to avenge his mother's death, the Kid discovers that Rana frequents an elite establishment in the city that serves as a front for a brothel and drug den. Using his contacts on the street, the Kid talks his way into a job at the Kings Club via the club's manager Queenie Kapoor. After befriending low-level gangster Alphonso, the Kid hatches a plan to exact his vengeance but soon realises that he is hopelessly outmatched and outgunned...

I make no secret of the fact that I enjoy a good action movie and recently, we have been spoiled by a number of films that have revived the genre after years of stagnation. Thankfully, we have another one here as Patel's blistering debut delivers a punch that will feel instantly recognisable to any fan of John Wick. There are a host of other influences in here as well, from Enter The Dragon to Ong Bak and The Raid - all ideal examples for an action film to emulate. But Patel's setting and story help make Monkey Man feel different from all of them. To viewers unused to films set in India, this makes an otherwise fairly generic tale of an underdog battling the system far more compelling. The biggest shock to me personally was watching Patel on screen, who appears to have seriously come of age here. The young boy from Slumdog Millionaire has now become a legitimate action star with this performance which is far bloodier and more violent than you might expect.

Another benefit for most Western audiences will be the unfamiliarity with the wider supporting cast besides Copley, who stands out from the rest of the cast like a sore thumb. This film puts established stars like Pitobash, Sharma and Deshpande front-and-centre of the story while introducing newer stars like Dhulipala to a much wider audience. And while it may be easy to dismiss this as a Bollywood-flavoured clone of John Wick, the film is much smarter than that as it offers some political commentary on life in India that hits just as hard as the Kid does. The film combines real-life footage of political violence as well as the inclusion of members of India's trans community which reminds us all that such discrimination is sadly not limited to that part of the world. The movie is not afraid to aim blows at several societal ills including corruption and religious persecution which may explain why the film has yet to be released in India, at the time of writing. It feels like the film comes from a place of real anger and while you may not be familiar with life in that part of the world, you can fully understand this man's rage and disgust at the opulence mere yards away from the poverty he comes from.

• Among other issues the production faced besides filming nearly being cancelled due to the pandemic, Patel suffered a number of injuries including broken bones and an eye infection while budget cuts meant that some scenes had to be shot on iPhones and GoPro cameras.
• The film includes a direct reference to John Wick when the Kid goes to purchase a gun and the dealer suggests the same model used by Keanu Reeves in the film, except it's made in China. Patel included it deliberately because he knew American audiences would automatically make that connection. However, Patel was keen to point out that the film was more influenced by Korean, Indian and Hong Kong cinema.
• Neela, the Kid's mother, was played by Adithe Kalkunte who played Dev Patel's wife in Hotel Mumbai in 2018.
• The film's costume designer played the beggar in the wheelchair while King Cobra (Monkey Man's foe at the fight club) is played by the film's fight choreographer.

While Monkey Man displays a surprising degree of competence as an action film, it does make several errors elsewhere. The most glaring one is the decision to have the film's dialogue split into two languages: Hindi and English. This unfortunately results in viewers reliant on subtitles finding themselves momentarily confused when they disappear as the characters suddenly speak in English but their accent doesn't change. This is compounded during scenes when there seems to be a lot of background noise or during any of the film's sequences that involved an eager editor after several cans of Red Bull, resulting in a flashy and disjointed viewing experience at times. Take the pickpocket scene where a handbag is passed between what feels like hundreds of individuals in the middle of an overcrowded slum. Like much of the film, it reminded me of another film (in this particular case, Patel's breakthrough appearance in Slumdog Millionaire) but without the finesse Danny Boyle brought to his Oscar-winning effort. In fact, you could argue that the film wears its influences a bit too heavily. I found myself going "Oh, this is like [insert film here]" a bit too often.

There are other issues as well. I won't claim to be fully versed on life in India so a lot of the film's cultural nods were lost on me such as the trans community the Kid takes refuge in. Some elements are clearer than others - few viewers won't make the association between the film's spiritual leader antagonist Baba Shakti and the nationalist government run by Narendra Modi. But like the Kid himself, the film lacks a little focus and instead of landing a knockout punch, it tends to flail its arms wildly in the hope of landing a hit. Yes, the film's underlying message gives its bloody revenge story an emotional impetus but it felt more like wish-fulfilment to me. Patel appears to be using the film to make political points as well as delivering a stylish and alternative action film. And while there's nothing wrong with that as such, it tends to leave the film feeling a little diluted in comparison to John Wick.

This is certainly an ambitious debut for Patel who has instantly added several new strings to his bow - writer, director and martial arts star. He is no longer the fresh-faced youth he once was and that's to his credit. The film is a gritty and hard-hitting affair that perhaps spends a bit too long lecturing to its audience instead of thrilling it with breathless, bloody fight scenes. But in an overcrowded genre, Monkey Man does enough to stand out from the crowd and for jaded fans, this is an enjoyable violent tonic.

Good For: long-time action film fans, Indian audiences, expanding Dev Patel's career prospects

Not So Good For: Indian politicians, anyone expecting a realistic movie, the squeamish

It may be unfair to pitch Monkey Man against the likes of John Wick, which single-handedly revived the action genre with its blistering fight choreography, electric cinematography and lighting and Keanu Reeves at the peak of his powers as the hitman after those who murdered his wife and puppy. Perhaps a closer competitor to this film would be RRR, a 2022 period action film set in the 1920s that reimagines the lives of revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju. It was a massive hit with both audiences and critics, becoming one of the most successful Indian films of all time and the first Indian film in history to win an Academy Award. Of course, there are any number of Indian action films to choose from including, ironically, Hanu-Man which was released the same year as Monkey Man and based around the same mythical figure, albeit reimagined as a superhero.

Patel has crammed a lot of work into his career, so much that I was surprised he's only 34 at the time of writing. After the huge success he enjoyed following Slumdog, it's unfortunate that his next film role was starring in the much reviled The Last Airbender, a film so disastrous that all nearly killed the career of former industry darling M. Night Shyalaman and is still a punchline years later. In the years following this, Patel found himself either in supporting roles in films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel or fronting more indie efforts like Chappie and Lion. Where his career goes from here will be interesting to see. I see a potential parallel with fellow Brit Jason Statham, who forged his career in comedies like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch before becoming an action star thanks to films like The Transporter.