Monkey Man (now streaming on Peacock) is a pretty bold directorial debut from Dev Patel, who you probably know from his bold acting debut in Slumdog Millionaire (not to mention Lion, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The green knight). He is also the star, co-writer and producer of this brutal action film and released under Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw label, which has a reputation for producing genre films with a conscience, and picked up the film after Netflix balked at its description of thorny Indian politics. Which is one way of saying this is smarter than your average action movie; It’s also better directed than your average action movie, perhaps a surprising development considering it’s from a first-time director.
MONKEY MAN: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The essence: The credits list him as Kid (Patel), but other than that, the film never gives him a name. We find him in a naked fighting ring, where he wears a monkey mask and routinely gets his butt beaten so the sleazy promoter (Sharlto Copley) can give him a cut of the dirty bet money. My question: Is he losing on purpose or does he just suck? I’m pretty sure it’s not the latter, and my theory about the former is that it’s a lesson in how to take hit after hit after hit so he can learn how to keep getting up again and again and again. Why would I want to do this? Because of the flashbacks, of course: happy flashbacks about his dear, lovely mother that become less and less happy as the film dishes out the tragedy of his past bit by bit. She sees her in the crowd, watching him fight, but I think he sees her everywhere, tormenting him, because she is no longer on this Earth.
And for that reason, Our Boy has a great plan for revenge. He manages to get a job washing dishes at an upscale club that is secretly a pe bar where guys can be sexually serviced while inhaling loads of white powder. It is run by Queenie Kapoor (Ashwini Kalsekar), and one of its clients is police chief Rana Singh (Sikander Kher), who is a puppet of the ultra-rich quasi-guru Baba Shakti, who is in bed with the far-right political movement that is about to take power in India. How do all the things in that last sentence influence Our Boy’s plight? His target of revenge is Rana, who is not only very connected, but also has a scar above her left ear that looks like a story that needs to be told, but you’ll have to wait a minute. Little by little, remember. Little by little.
Our guy is friends with Queenie’s right-hand man, goofy Alphonso (Pitobash), who has a souped-up auto rickshaw that might come in handy if someone finds themselves in a car chase, NOT THAT I’M SAYING THAT HAPPENS. (Note: It happens.) The guy we empathize with may be a little lost here, because his first attempt to turn Rana into the contents of the coffin doesn’t go well, despite how exciting and wildly violent he is. He ends up caring for a group of social outcasts, trans people who are the targets of conservative politicians and their shitty cops. And here, Protag Man not only undergoes a physical galvanization and spiritual awakening, but he also finds himself fighting for a cause bigger than himself, and that’s something he really needs, because revenge is not about moving on, but To continue. He is running on the hamster wheel of life, destination: nowhere.
What movies will it remind you of?: Patel’s action director influences are prevalent, especially those of Quentin Tarantino. kill bill and Gareth Evans’ The raidwith hints of Paul Greengrass’ handheld camera (think Bourne movies) and savage, comedic Hong Kong-style violence (in the vein of John Woo’s early work and vintage Jackie Chan photographs). It employs brutality and Nicolas Winding Refn-style imagery to the Drive and The neon demon. There is a different Danny Boyle slum dog manic energy. And the biggest one is there, in the “memorable dialogue” below.
Performance worth seeing: Patel establishes himself as a convincingly intense, strong, mute guy, the latest in a long line of bold figures with significant screen presence: Gosling, Keanu, Eastwood and several Mad Max The series’ protagonists (Mel Gibson, Charlize Theron, Anya Taylor-Joy, Tom Hardy) let their many violent actions speak louder than their few words.
Memorable dialogue: A black market arms dealer shows a gun to Our Man: “You like it John Wick? “Just like the movie, but made in China.”
Sex and skin: Our kind of anti-hero, but not quite, burns in the brothel as various men and women in various states of undress engage in various physical activities.
Our opinion: Monkey Man It feels like Patel is really putting everything he has into this one, like he’s not sure he’ll get another chance to direct his own project. He doesn’t need to worry, at least from a creative standpoint. Although its amalgamation of influences makes the film something of a visual mosaic (we get hyper-edited clips, long one-shots, extravagant choreography, POV perspectives, all the tricks), there’s no denying its energy. and lively spirit. His visual language is cartoonish, frenetic and unapologetic in its depiction of violence. The film feels really alive and keeps us in the moment as Our Boy boils, bones break, and blood pools in big, thick clotted pools.
There were moments where I was looking for a little more story – it teases too much of Our Protag’s backstory, even though it’s pretty obvious what happened, and it’s executed with a kind of harsh, slightly over-the-top melodrama. But it finds its footing and purpose halfway through, as the narrative settles into the familiar revenge arc of motive, failure, rebirth, and the unleashing of fresh, harsh brutality during a strong 30 finale. Monkey Man He also aims a little higher, trafficking in nasty politics and class warfare, which is rudimentary but effective as Our Hero finally officially earns the title of Our Hero after overcoming Selfish Mode and fighting for himself. and the oppressed. Primitive ideas about revenge simply aren’t enough in 2024, and Patel wisely recognizes this.
Our call: Do not throw poop Monkey Man. Dev Patel goes wild with his debut behind the camera, and the result is a bracing and effective action picture. TRANSMIT IT.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic living in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
