Alana’s Old Favorites & New Discoveries - July 2024 🎞️

Hi all! I’m Alana, and I’m the Adult Programs Coordinator for Ida Rupp Library. My blog posts will consist of older favorites and recommendations along with new finds in the wide world of entertainment. I never limit myself based on audience or genre, so whatever your preference, I hope I can help you find your next watch, read, listen, or play-through!

This month’s recommendation is the movie Monkey Man, an action-packed revenge story that serves as actor Dev Patel’s (Slumdog Millionaire, The Green Knight) directorial debut. The film was released in theaters in April of 2024, with the DVD release at the end of June. Monkey Man received largely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike for its depth in comparison to other action flicks. At the film’s premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, Patel stated that he felt the action movie genre had been abused by the system in order to make money without taking the story too seriously: “I wanted to give it soul. Real trauma. Real pain. You guys deserve that. I wanted to infuse it with a little bit of culture.” And in my opinion, there is plenty of trauma, pain, and culture to take in with this film. 

Patel also produced, co-wrote, and starred in the movie as its unnamed protagonist, credited only as “Kid”. Kid lives a hard-scrabble life in the seedy underbelly of the fictional city of Yatana (a Sanskrit word that loosely translates to “effort”, “torment”, or “revenge”), where he ekes out a living on the money he makes throwing matches at an underground fight club. He wears a monkey mask during these matches that is reminiscent of the Hindu deity Hanuman, whose legends Kid’s mother had told him as a child. Hanuman in Hindu culture represents strength, courage, and resilience, and the film continually draws parallels between the deity and Kid. In their relentless quest for control over an ultraconservative India, it is shown in a series of flashbacks that two powerful figures had evicted and later razed the village in which Kid grew up. The trauma from losing both his mother and his home in one blow remains just at the edges of the now-adult Kid’s subconscious mind, threatening to overtake him if he lowers his guard. Kid plans an intricate revenge by infiltrating the brothel and drug den frequented by the men he is after. He is taken on a spiritual journey to hone his skill, to properly grieve the loss of his mother, and to find inner peace before he can take down those who took everything from him. 

In addition to its plot, Monkey Man also boasts some intense fighting sequences and surprising - and sometimes abysmal - trivia from behind the scenes. The crew worked with a very limited budget, which meant there were several improvisations that had to be made during filming. One prime example is the fact that many scenes were shot using GoPro cameras and the cast’s personal cell phones after cameras stopped working. The crew also had a limited amount of breakaway furniture and couldn’t procure any more, so after each take using a breakaway table, several members of the cast and crew would gather up all the balsa wood and glue it back together so that it could be reused in another take. 

There were also many physical ailments that Patel sustained on set, including broken toes even before filming had started, an eye infection, and a shattered hand requiring surgery during the shooting of their first fight sequence. If that wasn’t bad enough, the cast and crew also had to contend with the Covid-19 pandemic, which moved their filming location from India to Indonesia, plus the loss of their gaffer due to a heart attack in the middle of production. As Patel told SXSW reporters: “Everything that could have possibly gone wrong in the making of this film did go wrong.”

However, I’m glad Patel and the rest of the team stuck things out to complete this movie, because it is truly a powerhouse of filmmaking and storytelling. If the two-hour runtime intimidates you like it did me, I’d implore that you give Monkey Man a chance anyway. When the action starts, time flies by without notice. This is the quintessential popcorn flick, yes; but there is also a personal aspect to the story and the acting. The film depicts class struggle, sexual violence, marginalized communities, and power imbalance with both animalistic fervor and unexpected heart. 

Monkey Man can be ordered through our catalog on Blu-Ray or DVD, or is currently streaming on Peacock for those who have access to the service. Please note that this film contains mature themes and intense violence throughout, so it may not be for all audiences. As always, if you decide to give this one a watch, feel free to reach out and let me know what you think. Happy watching!