B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping Dev Patel’s Monkey Man into the ol’ VCR. 

Now, friends, I knew I was going to enjoy Monkey Man. However, I didn’t know how much I was going to LOVE IT. 

For those unfamiliar with Monkey Man, it stars Dev Patel as Kid, who is on a mission to avenge his mother and seek justice for the underprivileged. Monkey Man also marks Dev Patel’s directorial debut. 

And wow. 

I was truly blown away from this movie, start to finish. 

In my opinion, Monkey Man dissects and challenges the archetype of the traditional action hero. Kid is a lot more raw and vulnerable in a way we rarely see. Additionally, not all of his stunts and plans land. He tries to jump through a window he can’t break. He often hesitates before pulling the trigger, if he can pull the trigger at all. He’s not the traditional action hero we often see in cinema in that he isn’t portrayed as some invincible and superhuman force. 

I don’t think a lot of usual suspects will actually watch this movie because, um, it doesn’t star a bunch of white people. However, if anyone does, I do think we’ll hear similar echoes that we heard for Barbie. God forbid human beings grow and develop into well-rounded and accepting adults. 

I digress. 

Kid also asks for and accepts help from those around him, be it sex workers* or trans women. 

*In this film, the sex work seems to be to nonconcensual or borders on nonconcensual at times, so I just want to note that I’m talking about consensual sex work and not condoning anything nonconcensual. There is nothing wrong with consensual sex work. 

I digress, yet again. 

He’s accepting of everyone, and he wants to fight with and for all of those around him. He doesn’t focus on the “hot woman” who needs saving because there really aren’t any. All of the women in this film are strong and can more than fend for themselves. They aren’t framed in the male gaze; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. 

Monkey Man is like an Indian action film mixed with a Korean revenge film with a dash of Kung Fu movies. It’s also beautifully made, and every sequence is masterfully shot. Dev Patel doesn’t waste a second of screentime. 

I would be so bold to say that Monkey Man will be on my favorites list for 2024, be it an honorable mention or on the list itself. 

I’ve been thinking about this movie ever since I saw it, and I can’t wait to watch it again. 

I also highly recommend looking into how Monkey Man came to fruition (shoutout to my tattoo artist, Lito, for giving me some of this info). This movie went through the ringer to get a release, and it only makes me love it even more. 

Video source: BBC Radio 1 

Monkey Man is now in theaters.