A crowd roars. Lights flash. Music blares. In the middle of a boxing ring stands a man in a monkey mask, beaten bloody, falling to the floor. The opening scene of Dev Patel’s directorial debut “Monkey Man,” like the rest of the film, is a visual feast packed with vibrant cinematography and brutally creative action. The story, however, despite attempting to add a twist to the revenge film genre, is hit-or-miss.
“Monkey Man” follows Kid (Dev Patel), a destitute fight club combatant with a mysterious past, as he murders his way up the social ladder to get revenge on the corrupt elite of Yatana, a fictional Indian city. Through Kid’s journey, Patel aimed to diverge from the more traditional action trope of a one-man army and instead tell a story about resilience and community support in the face of oppression and adversity. Stand-out performances from the cast very nearly make it impeccable; Rana Singh (Sikander Kher) is a formidable villain, the hijra (a group of transgender, eunuch, and intersex people) provide much-needed ensemble support, and Patel proves he’s an Oscar winner for a reason.
Unfortunately, the compelling acting can’t compensate for a story that just isn’t quite right. Kid’s drive isn’t vague, but it doesn’t consistently progress through the film either; instead, the narrative jumps between motives, muddying what should be a compelling character arc from personal revenge to collective purpose.
The issue leeches into some of the most intense scenes in the film, dampening the effect of what would otherwise be deeply touching. That’s not to say the movie isn’t stirring—the movie works emotionally more often than not—but the lack of drive makes the triumphs fall flat. The audience consciously knows why Kid is fighting, but they don’t always feel it.
In a similar vein, while the fight scenes are innovatively vicious and indescribably beautiful, there are moments where the combat feels narratively inconsequential. It was undoubtedly a stroke of genius to have a stuntman be the cameraman during the fight scenes: punches simply hit harder. At the same time, watching the protagonist take down wave after wave of low-level goons only makes Kid seem impervious to harm through the addition of some always trusty plot armor.
“Monkey Man” isn’t a perfect movie by any means but it never stops fighting to be something better. Patel’s directing is distinctive and refreshing, and with any luck, he’ll get the opportunities he deserves to shape the action genre going forward. His passion for the project touches every aspect of the film, imbuing it with something special even when it stumbles. There are those magical moments, however, where all the elements of the film come together, and when “Monkey Man” hits—it’s a knockout.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on April 18, 2024
