Often deemed as South Asian John Wick, Monkey Man, of course, has plenty of the stylish action that’s been captivating today’s filmmakers and audiences alike. Dev Patel, now writing and directing alongside leading the film, created a crazy combination of action sequences that mess around with perspective, that’s fuelled by insane choreography, and that take the best from the action thriller greats, but it also mixes in such unique ways, with his one man crusade expanding into an unforgettable folklore-inspired counter campaign against a corrupt, nationalist administration. It’s not a perfect film, but Monkey Man is such a bold debut that marks Patel as a director to watch.
"A fun if messy debut full of infectious enthusiasm for the genre."
— Kambole Campbell
"As an action flick, Monkey Man is often quite entertaining, but it keeps distracting you with images of the film it’s trying, and often failing, to be."
— Bilge Ebiri
Kid is an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
A young man, under the name Kid, ekes out a living in an underground fight club in order to unleash a campaign of retribution against the men responsible for his mom’s murder.
The action sequences are great, but to be honest, what strikes me the most is the tabla-scored training montage… It’s just a fun and playful twist to that genre staple scene.
Dev Patel… The man that you are…
BAFTA
1 nomination
