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No matter how many of us try to avoid the irritating pitter-patter of award season, we usually find ourselves drawn into it regardless. It’s a perfect storm of movie discourse — combining people using the words ‘overrated’ and ‘underrated’ liberally and their desire to explain why we don’t get the Best Picture’s symbolism. It’s also a good moment to reflect on the past year for movies, where we have been, and where we might go next. Dev Patel’sMonkey Manis an example of the heights 2024 took us to, and it’s no surprise that it’s being shut out of awards conversations. It’s a shame because it’s really good, but this happens every year.
However, it did nab the Best First Film award at the Puerto Rico Critics Association Awards, suggesting that Patel is a force to watch in the directing chair.Monkey Manshowed how Patel understandsseveral key aspects of action filmmaking that some directors spend their entire careers trying to master.Monkey Mantakes a simple revenge story and places the action second compared to the themes of cultural connection and rebirth. The action is amazingly shot, too, but the moments between the punches elevate these moments to a level of brutality that shatters into desperation and a sense of doomed inevitability.
Monkey Manis one of the best movies of last year, and Patel showed how much he knows about the process early on. His understanding of editing, shot length, and sense of structure within an action set-piece signal him as a special director, with so much amazing work still to come. What madeMonkey Manso good? How does it interweave themes of culture? How does Dev Patel film the action? Here’s what you need to know.
‘Monkey Man’ Is a Spiritual Journey, First and Foremost
Monkey Man
Monkey Manisn’t interested in a few quick punches and then a cut to black.It takes time to set up the characters and allows its main character to fail, not just physically, but spiritually too.Monkey Manintertwines his physical journeywith the connection to his spirituality he has to find for himself. This adds a layer of vulnerability to Patel’s character, meaning that he is just as desperate for answers inside the ring as he is on the outside of it.Monkey Manis a slow action movie compared to most, mainly because it positions Patel’s struggle as more than something that can be solved with a simple act of revenge.Monkey Manis smarter than that and ends on a note that although revenge has been sought, maybe the trauma will continue.
The second act ofMonkey Manis not uncommon in most action movies, a period of respite after failing the first time. But Patel packs this time with more than just training. As his strength increases, so does his understanding of the event he is fighting for, and his perspective shifts a bit. It gives him an actualmeaningful character arcinstead of having him be a simple vessel for violence. Things do remain pretty clear-cut, butMonkey Manfocuses on an actual evolution instead of a series of set pieces.
Dev Patel Knows How to Film an Action Scene in ‘Monkey Man’
When it does come time for set-piece action,Patel imbues everything with the vulnerabilitythat comes from anger. This comes through the most in his structuring of a set piece, slowly increasing the stakes whilst also taking important moments to stop in between.Monkey Manlevels up its structured fight scenes and, interestingly, doesn’t leave the big bad guy for last. Patel makes his fights more personal because of how restrained they can feel at times. It isn’t gratuitous, which means that every punch or kick carries with it the thematic weight we have spent so much time understanding.
Monkey Man Took One Refreshing Thing From John Wick
Monkey Man and John Wick are changing the action genre for the better.
This vulnerable state is also felt in Patel’s camera work. He smartly refrains from John Wick-style long takes. Something like this would make the movie feel too cinematic.Patel isn’t interested in that glossiness.Monkey Manbrings its camera just close enough to transfer the visceral energy to the audience but also remains voyeuristic at moments, not just to capture the fights from a wide angle but to take us away from Patel to test his independence in battle.The camera sweeps along the floor and goes left and right, but as he grows in confidence, the camera becomes sturdy, and Patel is now in control.
‘Monkey Man’ Shows a Bright Future for Patel as a Director
Patel brings confidence and vision toMonkey Manthat few first-time action directors can. As a first-time director, an audience can feel his experimentation at points while holding him back in terms of his overall three-act structure. Patel does a great job of capturing the neon streets and the grimy underneath, but it never feels any more glamorous the stronger Patel becomes. It’s the same toxic city it always has been, and all this character can do is fight in his little section of it.Patel doesn’t save the world or do loads to change it, but he does combine the spiritual and the physical in an impressive action-movie subtext.
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Monkey Mandoes feel like a movie directed by an inexperienced filmmaker, but that isn’t a bad thing. It’s rough around the edges, but in a way, it fits the uncertain nature of the journey being presented. The movie feels inevitable in how much violence is simmering beneath everything, but it rarely lets itself explode in an orgy of violence that overtakes the personal narrative.Monkey Manisn’t perfect, but Patel focuses on an imperfect means to a deliberately ambiguous end.
Scale in action moviesis crucial, andMonkey Manknows when enough is enough, and refuses to jump the shark for the sake of it. Dev Patel has a bright future ahead of him as a director, andMonkey Manis just the first cry in what will no doubt turn into a blood-curdling roar.Monkey Manis available to rent onPrime VideoandApple TV+now.
