Monkey Man

Monkey Man has dazzling fight sequences, an unremittingly dark tone, and a mesmeric central performance: entry level action it may be, but it’s difficult to be too grouchy with something with so much bravado and grit.

For what it is, it's quite effective and Patel is a credible action hero.

Over-the-top violence is rarely this much fun. First time directors are rarely this skillful.

Brutal, bone-crunching, neck-gouging set pieces, some great musical choices...

Dev Patel tries too hard, and for too much, in his directorial debut, but he's compelling enough to make you believe almost anything.

Monkey Man is not perfect, but it does not have to be. The film feels alive, with all the rush of Drive or Uncut Gems. This is not Bollywood — nobody sings — but rhythm is key.

Bedlam ensues, with Patel on fire, but Monkey Man also makes time for a kick-arse trans storyline that upends expectations, proving the writer/director has plenty of promise to spare.

Within Monkey Man’s many brutal fight sequences, Patel also makes an exceptionally strong case for being not just a formidable action lead but also a ferocious genre filmmaker.

Nowadays, the best thing an action movie like this can do is offer a unique and as intimate —for its creator— as possible proposal, and 'Monkey Man' exudes enough care scene after scene to allow Dev Patel's figure to be projected in each of its frames.



Often biting off more than it can chew, the focus of the film continuously expands, resulting in a film that isn’t all-the-way coherent. Yet, through Patel’s admirable acting and promising directing, it’s still a good time.