After years of suppressed rage, an underground fighter discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. He soon embarks on an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him. A film by Dev Patel, starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash Tripathy, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Adithi Kalkunte, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Makarand Deshpande, Jatin Malik, and Zakir Hussain.

When Kid (Jatin Malik) was a child, he witnessed the corrupt police chief Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher) murder his mother Neela (Adithi Kalkunte) and burn down their house and the villagers’ homes on the orders of the spiritual guru Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande), who wanted to acquire their land. Those who resisted were brutally massacred. Kid emerged from his hidden place upstairs and attempted to save his mother, but ultimately suffered terrible burns and scars on his hands.

Having grown up on the streets of Yatana City, Kid now makes a living as a monkey-masked fighter at an underground fight club run by Tiger (Sharlto Copley). Kid’s skill level remains unclear. We don’t know if Kid is not putting his full effort into fighting, as he often throws fights to receive money from Tiger. A glimpse of the burning village flashes in Kid’s mind, suggesting he hasn’t forgotten what happened on that fateful night, and is determined to kill Rana, the man who murdered his mother and destroyed his life.

At a local bar, Kid meets Lucky (Harshit Mahawar), a teenager who gives him information about Queenie, the manager of Kings, the most luxurious brothel in Yatana where powerful men and corrupt police chiefs often visit. Lucky tells Kid about Queenie’s daily routine, including her morning coffee at Café d’Italia. Lucky also warns Kid that he probably wouldn’t get anything from Queenie because she’s a tough woman.

Kid, with his friends’ help, manages to get Queenie’s wallet with his elaborate pickpocket scheme. The evening, he visits Queenie at Kings to return her wallet, lying that he found it amongst men fighting over it. Queenie offers him a money reward, but he refuses, saying he wasn’t interested in a handout. He insists he needs a job. Queenie initially refuses, claiming she doesn’t hire people from the street without references, but she changes her mind when Kid shows her his burning hand, lying that his hand was burned by bleach and chemicals, and that he is willing to do the dirty work that nobody else wants. On the wall behind her, Kid spotted a photograph of Rana and Queenie together.

Kid acquires a job in the kitchen as a cleaning boy. When people ask his name, he tells them it’s Bobby instead of his real name. He visits the black market gunshop and spends all his money on buying a .38 caliber revolver. After learning that Alphonso (Pitobash) is Queenie’s trusted employee, Kid befriends him. Kid tells Alphonso that he can make easy money by visiting Tiger’s underground fight club and betting on Khan. Suspicious, Alphonso inquires how Kid knows who will win the fight. Kid reveals he is the monkey-masked fighter going up against Khan. In exchange for this information, Kid proposes a deal: a promotion to work on the VIP floor.

Kid trains a stray dog to carry his revolver through a hole in the back gate. He laces Rana’s cocaine with bleac and then follows Rana to the restroom where he plans to kill him. But Kid is no professional assassin. Distracted, his plan falls miserably apart. He flees the scene, and the entire police force descends upon him. Kid is shot by a police sniper in a helicopter and falls into the river.

Directed by Dev Patel in his directorial debut with a screenplay he co-wrote with Paul Angunawela and John Collee, MONKEY MAN showcases remarkable camerawork and incredible martial art fight choreography. I love how the filmmaker opted for grittier and gruesome violence, with close-up shots that heighten the impact.

But impressive action sequences by themselves can’t save a film with a weak narrative. While the film starts off with a promising premise – an underground streetfighter seeks revenge on his mother’s killers. The first 50 minutes are well-executed, particularly the pickpocket scene featuring almost 20 cuts within a minute. However, the middle section drags with inferior subplot and flashbacks to the protagonist’s childhood. These elements could be effectively condensed and fleshed out within a few minutes, tightening the film’s pace.

The filmmaker attempts to explain how the protagonist not only trains himself to become a greater fighter, but also teaches others martial arts. However, none of it really persuades me to believe that he can fully heal and become an unstoppable killer in such a short period of time.

Dev Patel proves himself a multifaceted talent, not only writing, directing, and co-producing this film, but also taking the lead role as the film’s protagonist. It’s clear Dev Patel has a passion for action films. However, achieving what the John Wick franchise has done with its revenge epic theme requires a carefully crafted world and a relatable protagonist. The world that is built around MONKEY MAN is immensely dark, consumed by violence and hatred. It offers no hope for the viewers to root for the protagonist.

MONKEY MAN premiered at SXSW on 11 March 2024. The film theatrically released in the United States on 5 April.