Within the last decade, something interesting has emerged in the world of action cinema. This can be traced back to the release of Chad Stahelski’s 2014 film “John Wick,” which resurrected Keanu Reeves’ career and turned him into a bonafide action star with its unique visual style and brilliant action choreography. On the other end of the spectrum of quality are the endless amounts of Liam Neeson vehicles that tend to be released around the same time every year (typically around the beginning of the year) and tend to have mixed results. Dev Patel’s directorial debut, “Monkey Man,” is a prime example of the former, bringing a distinct vision to this genre. 

“Monkey Man” follows Kid, an unnamed man who, by night, works at a fight club to be beat up by opponents for a paycheck while donning a gorilla mask. Kid seeks vengeance against Rana Singh (played by Sikandar Kher), a corrupt police chief, for the death of his mother. 

Still photo of Kid in a “Monkey Man” movie scene. (Contributed/cbr.com)

As Kid, Dev Patel delivers an excellent performance as this quiet, stoic figure, embodying the fury of this character through his facial expressions and putting his body on the line during his stuntwork for the film.

There is an extensive cast of prominent Bollywood actors, including Ashwini Kalsekar (who portrays Queenie, Rana’s wife), who is most well-known as a frequent collaborator of auteur filmmaker Sriram Raghavan and has been cast in several of his films, including his fantastic 2007 neo-noir film “Johnny Gaddaar.” Another actor in this prominent cast is Sobhita Dhulipala, who portrays Sita, a local escort that Kid encounters while working as an employee at a restaurant under Queenie. The film also features an appearance from Zakir Hussain, a famous tabla musician in India, as a member of the temple that Kid takes refuge in — with his character being prominently featured in a training montage. 

In his feature-length directorial debut, Dev Patel blends stylized action choreography with social commentary on the current political climate in India, including critiques of the administration under current Prime Minister Narendra Modi (with the character of Baba Shakti being a stand-in for Modi). This also includes real-life footage of protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the current ruling political party in the country and the forefront of the fascist Hindutva movement, during a sequence in the third act of the film. Patel also highlights the repression of the Hijra — India’s trans community — by India’s government, with the inclusion of the commune at the temple. 

The film also seems to have a heavy influence from the heroic bloodshed genre of action cinema, pioneered by John Woo with films such as “A Better Tomorrow” and 1989’s “The Killer” – with Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick” franchise. This is evident through the stylized action sequences featured throughout the film (with these sequences featuring a prominent usage of gun-fu, another technique pioneered by John Woo), along with the film’s overall premise being a tale of vengeance. “Monkey Man” also appears to take some cues from the Masala film, a style of filmmaking that is prominent in Indian cinema that blends a plethora of genres. This is showcased through a few humorous scenes with Alphonso (played by Pitobash), a co-worker of Kid, such as when he shows him his car in the film’s first act. 

As for the film’s cinematography, Sharone Meir captures some excellent shots that complement the stylish action of the feature, such as a psychedelic sequence in the second act and some stellar camerawork during the action sequences (such as one particular scene at a VIP nightclub). 

The soundtrack features fantastic musical choices, including a prominent diegetic usage of Boney M.’s “Rivers of Babylon” in quite a brutal sequence on an elevator.

The only major issue with the film is the pacing in the second act, as it slowed down a little too much. While the pacing does pick up by the final act, it does take a little while to pick back up.

“Monkey Man” brings a distinct vision to the action genre with its blend of stunning action choreography and social commentary. It is a truly promising directorial debut from Dev Patel that brings new life into the action film.

“Monkey Man” is currently playing in theaters.

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