Dev Patel crushes bones in kinetic ‘Monkey Man’

Once bound for a low-profile streaming release on Netflix, Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man” makes for a bloody, spectacular theatrical experience.

The revenge thriller marks the directorial debut for Patel, notable star of titles like “The Green Knight,” “Lion” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” Patel also stars as Kid, an underground boxer in India hoping to avenge his mother’s brutal murder at the hands of a corrupt police chief.

That police chief is employed by an influential spiritual guru and his puppet political candidate … a character partially inspired by a real-life figure, or at least enough to make Netflix nervous about releasing the movie to its subscribers in India. Thankfully, Jordan Peele swooped in as a producer to lead the film to a U.S. theatrical release.

Those familiar with action-oriented revenge thrillers won’t find anything story-related that’s too out-of-the ordinary in “Monkey Man,” and the movie even includes a casual reference to “John Wick” for those unfamiliar with the basic structure. “Monkey Man” is comparably more brutal than “Wick” in terms of bloodletting and much lighter on the “hitman hotel” world-building that escalated over the course of the “Wick” franchise. Still, “Monkey Man” makes room for Sharlto Copley as a slimy, loudmouth fight promoter.

Working on just a $10 million budget, Patel and his team manage to stage multiple impressive action sequences, notably a mid-film assassination attempt that turns into a desperate and daring escape. Then, the film’s multi-prong climax delivers top-tier fight choreography as Kid battles his way through multiple goons using a variety of tools.

“Monkey Man” is undeniably fun in these brutal fight sequences, though Patel doesn’t relent on some of the genre’s more uncomfortable revenge elements. The murder of Kid’s mother is shown briefly in flashes multiple times before the film stops cold for a harrowing full flashback sequence. While effective in creating a strong emotional through-line for the movie, it’s a sequence that’s unquestionably difficult to watch and breaks the momentum.

Kinetic, sometimes-a-bit-queasy camerawork helps to cover some of the film’s budgetary shortcomings. As a director, Patel has a strong sense of pacing and gets memorable performances out of his entire cast.

As the lead, Patel is a magnetic, charismatic force. All the best corners of the internet continue to make the case that Patel should be the next James Bond and … well, yeah, let’s make that happen as soon as possible.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.