Thursday, April 04, 2024
Monkey Man
An anonymous young man (Dev Patel) ekes out a meager living participating in an underground fight club where he is paid to take a bloody beating from the popular fighters night after night while he wears a gorilla mask. Meanwhile, he harbors the physical & emotional scars from his tragic past as he suppresses his anger & rage. This is a slow burn story of vengeance that is hard to visualize where the plot is headed early on. He stealth fully plots his way to infiltrate into the world of the socially elite to get close to those who wronged him & his family. Then all hell breaks out as he explosively lashes out at his enemies “John Wick” style, brutally bloody in hand-to-hand combat. His courage & strength were inspired by the Indian monkey deity legend told to him by his mother when he was just a child. In his quest for revenge, he becomes the savior symbol for the poor & powerless against the corrupt leaders. In addition to outstandingly playing the lead, Patel makes a brilliant directorial debut. The film is dark, intense, & violently stunning. The movie is also rich in Indian culture.
Alien gives it 3 “VIP Room” stars out of 4.
