Dev Patel is a man of many achievements, from making his debut in Channel 4’s Skins, to making his film debut in Slumdog Millionaire, to getting his first Academy Award nomination with Lion and being noticed for his critically acclaimed performance in The Green Knight. Patel has now finally decided to sit in the director’s chair with his debut, Monkey Man, and though I didn’t doubt him for a second in his ability to direct a film, he proves that he has what it takes to not only direct it, but also star in it too. The best thing to come from Dev Patel’s directorial debut has all to do with the behind-the-scenes and how he was able to overcome the constant roadblocks that almost stopped him from being able to make the film… and that in itself is an achievement.
The Importance Of Culture In ‘Monkey Man’
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: a lot of people are going to see some John Wick inspiration, and it’s hard to unsee. There’s also a direct reference within the film, where Kid (Dev Patel) goes to a gun dealer and gets offered the TTI Combat Master, which is the same gun used in the John Wick films. This film is more than just an Indian John Wick; unlike a lot of John Wick ‘copies’, this film reinvigorates the genre as it gives it life and a personality, as culture is a strong point in this film. The biggest inspiration is the story’s main focus, the Hindu deity Hanuman, a deity that embodies strength and courage. The film opens by explaining the story of Hanuman, a half-monkey and half-human, and how he was robbed of his powers and was able to come back stronger than he was before.
This being the first piece of information we get told is important, as it’s the same journey that Kid will be following throughout this film. We already witness the amount of courage he has as he keeps entering the ring to leave all bloodied every time. The strength is something that comes later, as he goes on a journey to get him to the point he needs so that he can enact his revenge. This is an aspect of the story that was able to keep me interested, as for the first time in this genre, we’re not witnessing a main character who is already the strongest and most feared.
As mentioned before, it helps reinvent the genre while also adding Hindu culture to it. Haruman has an attribute called Brahmachari, which means self-control—the ability to control their desires for things like money or pleasure so they can focus on more important things like helping others. Kid shows throughout the film that money is not a concern for him as he focuses on getting information for his revenge scheme while also helping people in desperate need and suffering at the hands of corrupt cops.
What shines most for me in this film isn’t the action (though it is amazing), but the wonderful storytelling and how Dev Patel integrates Hindu culture into it. Before watching this film, I was unaware of everything spoken about in it, but I’ve been able to come out of this film with some knowledge of Hindu culture. A big part of this film, which revolves around Kid putting others first before he solves his own problem, is a subplot that involves the Hijras, an oppressed group of trans women who worship the Hindu goddess Bachuchara. Kid’s story and the Hijras’ story mirror each other, as they’re both victims of the corrupt police and system of India and not only have suffered from it but continue to suffer. They manage to cross paths and support each other, which leads into one of the most chaotic action sequences in the film, where we get to see some trans women absolutely kick ass and shed blood (not theirs).
The Unique Action Of ‘Monkey Man’
The standout and the crowd pleaser of Monkey Man is its action, which is where all its comparisons to John Wick derive from, but I see many other inspirations that feel more connected to this film than John Wick. There are inspirations from all sorts of action films from around the globe, such as China and Korea, but the one that stands out most to me specifically is Indonesia. In terms of how in your face and how gritty the action can get, it reminds me of my favourite action film of all time, and that’s The Raid 2; it’s never afraid to get you into the action, showcase the brute force it has to offer, and also show you the corrupt sides of their respective countries.
Monkey Man stands strong from a technical point of view, the camera angles that are used in the fight really help you get close to the action sequences and feel each punch and each kick. At times, it can feel like the camera is too close and you can’t tell what’s going on, but the shaky camera adds to the chaotic nature of this film’s action. The film has great fighting choreography, but it’s not the type of choreography where you can tell they’ve had to practice; it’s messy, it’s violent, and there isn’t a lot of back and forth with the fighting. It’s fast-paced action that doesn’t give you any time to breathe as you attempt to take it all in.
The movie is structured in such a way that it makes it easy to follow the story at hand. You’re not told straight away what Kid’s motives are; it’s only clear that something terrible happened to him in the past, which has set him on this vicious journey of violence. We follow him as he’s known as Monkey Man within the underground fighting ring where he fights for money. The film manages to slowly tell us his backstory through flashbacks, which tell us about his trauma. He later goes by the name “Bobby” as he infiltrates the company which has clear connections to his past. As he climbs up the ladder to get close to the corrupt political officials, his story of revenge starts to become clear. It isn’t until act two that we’re given the full story, and it becomes known who he’s after.
What Dev Patel does with this film is a huge achievement that most first-time directors cannot achieve; he manages to give us action that is on par with legendary action films such as The Raid, while also giving us a story that is politically charged. He’s a visionary behind the camera and a star in front of it. It’s unbelievable what Patel can achieve with this film; he’s able to show us the darkness of India and how corrupt their political leaders are, but he’s also able to show us the beauty of it within its people and the beautiful colours of its city landscapes, which also lend themselves towards the fight scenes. From the cinematography to the story to the music, everything is crafted in such a way as to heighten the action.
Dev Patel performs exceptionally well, but he’s not the only character in this film; he’s accompanied by Pitobash, who plays Alphonso, a character he meets as he’s trying to infiltrate this company. Alphonso helps with the comic relief of the film, but unfortunately, there isn’t enough of him or the other characters, such as Sita (Sobhita Dhulipala), who get wonderful introductions and have promise as strong characters, but end up being quite underutilised in the overall film.
‘Monkey Man’ – Final Thoughts
Monkey Man is the action film of the year, as Dev Patel reaches new heights within the genre and manages to redefine its meaning. Patel keeps culture a strong part of Monkey Man and helps the story flourish and become unique instead of repeating the same average revenge story that we’re so used to seeing. Dev Patel not only excels on screen with a performance that’s unmatched, but also excels behind the scenes and shows that he’s well capable of crafting such a film enriched in its Indian roots, while still providing the best action sequences to reach our screen in recent years.
Monkey Man releases in theaters on April 5, 2024. Check out the trailer below.
