A frenetic, furious debut from Patel

A visceral, violent, and vibrant pastiche of auteur South Asian action, Dev Patel’s directorial debut revenge-thriller stands as a remarkable addition to his career.

Monkey Man (Reading) tells the ferocious tale of a young man, known simply as ‘‘Kid’’ (Dev Patel), who ekes out survival in India’s brutal underground fighting circuit. Donning a monkey mask and embodying the Hindu deity, Hanuman, he hones his combat prowess to exact vengeance against the perpetrators of violence in a deeply unjust world.

Blending brutal, sweaty combat with an emotionally-charged narrative, the film’s raw, guerrilla-style kick-ass action only heightens the impression of Kid’s underdog identity. You can feel his physical and psychological development throughout the film, with gritty quick-cutting, ballistic action that makes John Wick look tame.

Set against a backdrop of grungy alleyways and neon-lit nightclubs, Monkey Man weaves a fiery tapestry of South Asian culture. Beyond Bollywood, the film draws inspiration from the auteur action cinema of Bruce Lee, John Woo, and Park Chan-wook, to name a few. As the protagonist’s blind fury becomes calculated revenge, music punctuates the action, enriching the depth sewn into a story so strongly rooted in India.

A labour of love, Patel’s directorial debut stemmed from the desire to provide representation in film that has often been marginalised in Hollywood, enduring broken bones, a torn shoulder, an eye infection, and a pandemic along the way.