Walking into the theater, with only half a dozen interviews, an action-packed trailer, and Dev Patel’s reputation to guide me, I had very high expectations for the film. Monkey Man is a direct parallel to Hindu god Hanuman and the battles the protagonist faces parallel the ones illustrated in the Ramayana. It’s slightly demented that the original mythology from 200 BCE have an equally pressing counterpart tackling the same demons in the 21st century, but anyway.
Dev Patel’s directorial debut is an action-packed thriller that takes a masterful shot at social commentary through weaving elements of religion, politics, and human rights into the childhood flashbacks, half dozen fight sequences, and training montages. But beyond directing, Patel also stars, co-writes, and co-produces the film despite the seemingly endless red flags that were telling him to call it quits and manages to feature a predominantly Indian cast.
PLOT
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ Warning: Spoilers ahead!
As the film opens, we see the scrappy antihero, Kid, played by Dev Patel, wearing a monkey mask competing in the heart of Mumbai’s underground fighting scene and quickly learn that he gets paid depending on how much blood he gets pummeled out of him night after night. The next scene features an elaborate pickpocketing montage, a scheme he’s concocted to infiltrate a drug/sex ring at the heart of a prominent club hosting the elites.
While he’s climbing up the rungs of this club with the help of comic relief Alphonso, the drug dealer, we cut to scenes of his backstory which come from impact-driven flashbacks1 to learn how he lost his mother and his home because of a guru claiming holy land and a corrupt police force who terrorized the underprivileged for a politically motivated land grab. Kid makes an unsuccessful assassination attempt at the police chief who murdered his mother, commencing the most frenzied, gory action sequence that leads to a narrow escape as he lands in the water.
Kid wakes at a temple amongst the kind, nurturing Hijra community who ensure his safety because of discomfort against the community and help him recognize the importance of intentionality and purpose in life. Kid returns to the ring to defeat both his opponents who are twice his size within seconds of the match beginning, changing the narrative and the audience into actively rooting for him.
The film ends on Diwali with Kid defeating the spiritual leader and he finally falls from the several injuries he’s sustained in this redemption sequence. Whether Kid will survive his major injuries or is a martyr to creating a new social order that ends systemic violence against the disadvantaged populations is up to the audience as they lie in bed that night.
ON THEMES AND CRITIQUES
🌀 DEV PATEL CAN BE AN ACTION STAR
Starting off, I’ve seen so many reviews on Letterboxd and TikTok call this a new iteration of John Wick, but I just don’t see it that way. I mean, I’ve only put off John Wick for so long because of the seemingly disconnected action and chaos that ensue without a defined cause, but Monkey Man delivers in tying the character’s purpose and creating parallels between the character Kid and the Ramayana’s Hanuman.
“You like John Wick? I have the same gun from the movie”
“I’m looking for something smaller, but just as effective”
I also credit Dev Patel’s proactive wit to anticipate the comparisons and get ahead of it by name checking John Wick early in the film and subtly nodding to his contribution to a saturated action genre.
🌀 CRITIQUES
I was going to knock the film down because I couldn’t figure out what the dog’s purpose was in this slow-burn film. Kid befriends the dog in the back alley by feeding and caring for it, but I didn’t remember the dog coming back until I was discussing this with my mom. She pointed out Neela's remark when she questioned why he was feeding the dog, because it’ll keep coming back out of hope. And this is actually where Kid got the idea to use the dog to carry the gun through the back alleys into the heavily guarded club to circumvent the metal detectors and security guards.
So I’ll only slash the film for a few things.
Underutilizing Neela, especially because the mythological character she was mirroring, Sita, played a greater, stronger role in the Ramayana. Though I love a good plot and think Sobhita Dhulipala is beautiful, I really appreciated the film’s intentional lack of the romantic subplot because it really emphasized the political and cultural commentary.
Alphonso’s comic relief and consistent support added depth to the thriller and I wish I got to see more of him; however, I can’t imagine more scenes that he could be relevant in.
I wish there was more world building and character backgrounds in an otherwise sometimes thin storytelling when there’s a rich mythological text to back it up. For example, I wish we got more backstory as to how Kid recruited an entire community to run the elaborate pickpocketing scheme, but perhaps, we can infer that Kid is just a charismatic and kind leader who anyone would feel comfortable helping out in a criminal activity that serves a greater cause.
🌀 POLITICAL THEMES
One thing I can’t really weigh in on too heavily is the substance of political topics that are explored by this storyline. This story is set against the backdrop of the upcoming election with a “Make India Great Again” Nationalist party that closely mirrors the current ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I have a less than working knowledge of India’s political state and parties involved, but I can surmise that the film is attempting to bring awareness to how the police force and spiritual figures are in cahoots with the immoral leading political parties, emphasizing how religious fervor masks the political corruption in real life.
🌀 INDIAN CINEMA MEETS HOLLYWOOD
Last few comments, I loved that Patel refused to distort elements of the film to be more palatable for Western audiences with a majority Indian cast and style of thriller. The kills and stunts in this film are comparable to it’s rival thrillers because of his lack of holding back and add respect and merit to an already reputable movie. Additionally, I appreciate the incorporatation of songs that enhanced each scene, from the juxtaposition of a Roxanne sampling at a brothel to the isolated vocals during the last scene leading to the credits.
🌀 TO CONCLUDE
All in all, considering how many deterrents Patel faced,
Shot in Indonesia in one hotel, 400 people
Expensive cameras and some scenes shot on the iPhone
Financiers pulling out funding
Dev Patel’s extreme injuries (broken wrist, etc)
The cinematography and storytelling was still excellent and evoked the respective emotions required of each scene. I am impressed by the resilience and passion that got Patel his standing ovation on the big screen.
I may will have to go back to rewatch. Actually, I kind of watched the movie with my mother out of my impatience, but I should probably rewatch it with my partner who I originally asked to watch with me. With Dev Patel’s multifaceted career as a filmmaker, cameraman, action star, etc. just beginning—I’m so glad I got to be here at the start.
MORE2
@shivalry_inc: INCREDIBLE TIKTOK SERIES featuring Shiv’s 3 part interview with Dev Patel, Ramayana references in Monkey Man, and her overall film analysis
New Yorker: When the Hindu Right Came for Bollywood, Samanth Subramanian
The Wrap: India’s Tom Cruise Shah Rukh Khan May Have Just Saved Bollywood With His Blockbuster ‘Pathaan,’ Scott Mendelson
The Verge: Monkey Man is a Studied Execution of the Brutal Revenge Thriller, Charles Pulliam-Moore
SXSW Interview: A Conversation with Director and Star Dev Patel
Music: Grow, A Colors Encore, FaceSoul
Playlist: All the songs on Monkey Man
and cut! 🎬 i love you Dev Patel, thank you for reading, & i’ll catch you all soon! 💌 pk
Similar to Slumdog Milionaire’s callbacks
You HAVE to go through ALL of these.