Monkey Man

It’s both tempting and misleading to dismiss Monkey Man as an Indian cousin of John Wick — even if its protagonist does name-drop Keanu Reeves’ eponymous assassin at one point.

The ambitious and confident directorial debut for actor Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) is an ultraviolent vigilante thriller that proudly wears its genre influences on its proverbial sleeve, then filters them through a fresh and culturally specific lens.

Inspired by the legend of Hanuman — a strong and courageous mythological Hindu deity often taking the form of a humanoid ape — the gritty and evocative allegory immerses us in a cutthroat urban criminal underworld in contemporary India.

Patel stars as the Kid, who makes a meager living as a designated loser in a monkey mask at an underground fight club run by a greedy promoter (Sharlto Copley).

The beatings fuel a suppressed rage that stems from childhood trauma and tragedy, including unresolved grief from the death of his mother at the hands of mobsters. “It’s been inside of me all my life,” he explains.

Eventually he takes the mask off and goes on the offensive, unleashing his fury against all of those who have wronged him. Specifically, he infiltrates an enclave of wealthy and sinister elite whose ruthless villainy is steeped in systemic prejudice and oppressive caste hierarchies.

With its breakneck pace, the film fills every scene with chaos and squirm-inducing brutality without sacrificing too much thematic depth or sociopolitical subtext in the process.

On the surface, it’s a familiar underdog saga of resilience and redemption. But there are plenty of striking visual highlights along the way, such as an early sequence with a pickpocket in a wheelchair along with a handful of creatively choreographed fight scenes that yield an adrenaline rush.

Patel pours everything into his intense, richly textured performance as an atypical action hero, at least from a physical standpoint. He generates sympathy amid the constant mayhem around him.

The bilingual screenplay tends to indulge in some of the same tropes it aims to subvert. Most of the supporting characters are thinly sketched, and so is a subplot involving terrorism and bureaucratic corruption that’s not developed beyond the basics.

Still, as it steamrolls toward an inevitable high-stakes final showdown, Monkey Man has style and attitude to spare. It’s an exhausting yet exhilarating ride worth taking.

Rated R, 121 minutes.