Monkey Man

Director: Dev Patel
Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Makarand Deshpande
Running Time: 121 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)   

John Wick meets Enter The Dragon and Slumdog Millionaire in Dev Patel's exhilarating directorial debut Monkey Man, an adrenaline fueled thriller that could double as a superhero origin story. The movie really sneaks up on you by over-delivering in every department, skillfully mashing familiar genre tropes into a completely original story that's as emotionally affecting as it is visually spectacular. 

Giving strong performances in films like Lion and The Green Knight over the years, few would have guessed Patel's acting career would take such a route, with him suddenly emerging as the latest ass kicking action star. Assuming 007 producers are still on the hunt for a new James Bond, this intensely believable lead turn as a damaged loner consumed with revenge could easily be his audition reel. 

Patel's first outing behind the camera bare all the hallmarks of a seasoned pro, traversing issues of poverty, oppression, government corruption and genocide. And in combining all those elements with a meditation on Indian culture and spirituality, co-writers Patel, Paul Angunawela and John Collee still manage to never lose focus of the protagonist's quest for retribution.

Years ago, a young, nameless boy referred to as "Kid" (Jatin Malik) is raised by his mother Neela (Adithi Kalkunte) in a small Indian village when their land is taken by fake spiritual guru Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande). His right hand man, corrupt police chief Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher) evicts the village and kills its inhabitants, the boy watching in horror as his mother is gruesomely murdered.

Now a young man, the Kid (Devon Patel) earns money working as a monkey masked competitor in a seedy, underground fight club where he's paid to lose by bombastic promoter Tiger (Sharlto Copley). Plotting revenge for his mother's killing, he gets a job at Kings, a luxury brothel where the politically influential Rana frequents. When owner Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar) moves Kid up from cook to VIP waiter, he's helped by small time gangster and co-worker Alphonso (Pitobash) and prostitute Sita (Sobhita Dhulipala). But when his sneak attack on Rana backfires, he becomes a wanted criminal. 

By utilizing carefully placed flashbacks, the film reveals just enough, as the dizzying present-day action helps fill in the blanks. With Patel's quiet, anguished performance conveying the connection between his character's tumultuous memories and current motivations, we watch as Kid is mercilessly beaten in these underground fights, only to be booed by the raucous crowd and stiffed on pay. 

If getting his foot in the door at King's brothel seems like Kid's quickest route to kill Rana, it's only just the beginning. Crafty as he is, the scrappy underdog's obsession causes him to lose focus when that opportunity arrives. Their shockingly violent bathroom face off is the first of many frenetic, highly stylized fight sequences, but its unresolved outcome takes this plot in an entirely different direction, as he prepares his body and mind for the inevitable rematch. 

Taken in at a local hijra temple for trans women who are all too familiar with the cruelty of Baba's regime, Kid is guided by their leader, Alpha (Vipin Sharma) to work through his past. The training sequences (which involves an acid trip and a musically timed punching bag workout) are some of the film's most powerful moments, thanks largely to Patel's commitment to the character. Kid's metamorphosis is underway, readying himself to exact revenge, while now also fighting for something bigger.

While the film does belong entirely to Patel, Deshpande and Kher each leave their marks as Kid's ruthless nemeses, with an entertaining Pitobash providing needed comic relief as the befuddled Aphonso. Even the small, but well presented subplot involving Sita doesn't pan out exactly how you'd expect, but is all the better for it. Donning the monkey mask again, Kid will get his second chance in a spectacularly choreographed final battle that contains a few more surprises.

Watching what Kid witnessed as a boy is difficult and disturbing, but entirely necessary for the last act to resonate so strongly. Essentially a battle between good and evil, his journey evolves into him coming to terms with his trauma before finally attempting to settle the score. Transforming into a far different hero than we met at the film's start, his powerful progression is cemented with a payoff that doesn't pull any punches, marking the arrival of an imaginative new voice in the genre.