Monkey Man
Monkey Man
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systematically victimize the poor and powerless.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
Monkey Man if nothing else puts Writer/Director/Star Dev Patel on full display as a creative force. You can feel the passion and drive emanating off the screen. The tight close-ups and shaky cam aesthetic of most action scenes particularly early on will surely frustrate some. But I think it imbued the film with a messy but ferocious energy that fit perfectly with the story. Indeed as Patel’s skills level up throughout the movie we see the camera steady and pull back slightly from the action, the choreography becomes more elegant along with the costuming and settings—it’s as if the film itself is leveling up along with the kid or “Bobby”. The fact that this is Patel’s first directorial feature also lends itself to the feeling that Dev himself is leveling up as a director as the story progresses. I think this aspect is altogether unintentional, but I couldn’t help but feel that while watching it.
As for the story, it is a straight forward revenge thriller that incorporates some elements of Indian Hindu mythology, spirituality and politics into the narrative, albeit with fairly broad strokes. Still it’s completely refreshing perspective from a mostly Western production.
Overall, I was extremely entertained by Monkey Man. Brutal and bloody fight scenes (so many stabbings), and Dev Patel’s passion is splattered all over the screen. Highly recommend.