Dev Patel directs, produces, co-writes and stars in the action thriller film, Monkey Man. As a passion project he’s been working on for over a decade, it has finally been brought to life on the big screen, now showing in cinemas worldwide.

The film tells the story of Kid, an anonymous young man who makes a living by purposely losing fights in an illegal fight club, the whole time wearing a monkey mask to conceal his identity. Still haunted and traumatised by the tragic events of his mother’s murder and the massacre of his village as a child, he decides to hunt down the corrupt group of leaders responsible. His journey of revenge, however, won’t come easy, and he soon finds himself not just seeking vengeance for his mother, but also for the powerless and less fortunate people whose lives have also been affected.

Indian-British star, Dev Patel wears many hats to bring his passion project to life, and not only is it his directorial debut, but he’s also a co-writer, co-producer, and starring as the titular character. At first glance, Kid would be described as the Indian version of John Wick, with the character’s cold demeanour and black suit, as well as the gritty action scenes, but he well and truly stands out on his own. Dev Patel puts in the performance of a lifetime, portraying a man haunted by his childhood memories with vengeance as his only goal, but also trying to find peace within himself.

Kid is anything but a typical action hero, and the movie tells an emotional story as to what motivates him to go to the extremes required to accomplish his goals. That motivation adds so much to the raw emotion behind action scenes that are gritty, hard-hitting, violent and painful, but exciting to watch.

Early on, Kid realises he isn’t ready for the tougher battles ahead, first having to learn to gain control of his emotions and showing plenty of character development. As audiences learn more about him, they will feel his pain more and more, hyping them up to see the antagonists get what’s coming to them.

The middle of the film does have some minor pacing issues, making it feel like the storytelling is a little prolonged before it finally gets to the next action scene, but the wait is definitely worth it, only adding to the emotion. The story and action just complement each other beautifully.

With the story being set in India, it features a cast of famous Bollywood stars including Pitobash as Alphonso, Viper Sharma as Alpha, Sobhita Dhulipala as Sita, Ashwini Kalsekar as Queenie, Makarand Deshpande as Baba Shakti and Adithi Kalkunte as Neela, Kid’s mother. South African star, Sharlto Copley, also appears as Tiger, the host of the fight club, but the biggest standout amongst the cast is Sikandar Kher as one of the main antagonists, Rana.

Rana leads the corrupt police force and abuses his position of power. Sikandar Kher’s performance gives him a very intimidating presence, portraying him as ruthless and heartless with no remorse for his actions, making him an incredibly dangerous enemy for Kid.

Even though the movie had to be filmed in Indonesia instead of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it still does a fantastic job of illustrating modern-day India. The set pieces have the grittiness of the streets, slums, old buildings and more, as well as the clean and polished locations for the rich and powerful. It also doesn’t forget to showcase the beautiful and peaceful side of India, while the soundtrack has a mix of traditional Indian music and hard rock tunes when things get intense.

While technically an American-made film, Indian culture is very well represented. From the largely Bollywood cast to the set pieces recreating the sights of India, it shows the beauty of its culture, but also isn’t afraid to show its ugly side as well. It’s an excellent representation of Indian culture without exaggerating the stereotype.

For a first-time director, Dev Patel hits it big, smashing it even harder in the starring role. He has certainly come a long way since starring in his breakthrough role in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire. Monkey Man is a prime example of an entertaining action film with fantastic storytelling – the action is gritty, violent and exciting, while the story and character development give more meaning and justification to all the action scenes.

Fans of Bollywood films and action thrillers will find plenty to enjoy. It may have taken over a decade for this passion project to finally make it to the big screen, but the wait has been well worth it. Monkey Man is a wild ride from start to finish, full of action and emotion, and one that should not be missed. “One small ember can burn down everything.”

Written by: Sammy Hanson