Universal Pictures presents Monkey Man in UK cinemas from today.
Synopsis
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, 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.
Review
It’s not everyday you get an actor like Dev Patel, known predominantly for his roles in Slumdog Millionaire and Skins, who is able to completely reinvent themselves in a single movie not just as an actor but as a Writer, Producer and Director!
Monkey Man focuses on a mysterious man (played by Dev Patel) who is on a dangerous path of revenge for reasons that unfold throughout the movie. His path leads him down to more than just the revenge he seeks, but a saviour of the poor, a hero to the powerless and a dark looming shadow over the corrupt leaders of India.
Taking cues from an ancient Hindu legend of a monkey deity named Hanuman, a legend which is explained a few times throughout the movie so I won’t explain here. It’s clear how the character Dev plays, embodies the basic characteristics of Hanuman as well as his choice of the Monkey mask he has for his wrestling nights. He is a man whose entire identity is wrapped up in the myth of Hanuman and his unquenching thirst for revenge from acts he witnessed as a child.
While at first I was struggling to find understanding on all the plot threads being laid out in front of me. The film pushes forward and everything eventually falls into place for a highly satisfying story of revenge, acceptance and standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Dev Patel is the biggest highlight for this entire movie though. He was able to completely redefine himself as an actor and showed incredible skill as a director and as a writer.
Being lucky enough to sit in on an interview with him, Dev had revealed the trouble he and his crew went through to see this vision brought to life. From breaking his hand during filming, to a very creative staircase sequence only existing due to the constraints of the stairwells size.
Each fight is tightly framed, showing clearly that Dev Patel himself is fighting in these scenes and not a stand-in, how each contact is as bloody and visceral as the last one. I heard many winces in the audience during our screening and for good reason!
There are some truly difficult scenes to sit through as well which better explain the main characters actions. The film does not shy away from the brutality of corruption which only serves to the audience to understand where all of his rage and anger come from.
There is not much to really negatively critique on if I am completely honest, it really ended up ticking so many boxes for what makes a solid night in the cinema. There is also a base level of exploration to a culture different from our own and the struggles certain groups in India face, many of which I had not known prior to the movie.
This is a top contender for action movie of the year (at least for me) and Dev Patel deserves so much recognition and credit for the blood, sweat and tears he put into this to make it happen. Beautifully choreographed visceral fight scenes throughout with some touching moments of finding connections in the lowest of points in one’s life make Monkey Man a must see experience.
Verdict
Monkey Man is an intense, gory rollercoaster of a film. Taking cues from classic action films like Old Boy as well as more modern films like John Wick and The Raid, this film stands proud and tall with the rest of them. It needs to be enjoyed on the big screen for the best possible experience and huge thanks to Jordan Peele for ensuring this was not sent straight to Streaming like it was originally planned.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
