{ "id": "epe690jggs", "slug": "monkey-man", "title": "Monkey Man", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "label": "Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s", "label": "Action thrillers, 2020s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers", "label": "Crime, assassin, and vigilante thrillers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers.alpha-m-to-y", "label": "Titles M to Y", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers.alpha-m-to-y" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "India · 2021 and later: Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021", "label": "India · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Monkey Man is a 2024 action thriller, Dev Patel's directorial debut, starring Patel as Kid, an underground fighter avenging his mother's murder. Inspired by Hanuman, saved by Jordan Peele after Netflix dropped it, released by Universal April 5, 2024.", "snippet": "Monkey Man is a 2024 action thriller, Dev Patel's directorial debut, starring Patel as Kid, an underground fighter avenging his mother's murder. Inspired by Hanuman, saved by Jordan Peele after Netflix dropped it, released by Universal April 5, 2024.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.action-thrillers-2020s.crime-assassin-and-vigilante-thrillers.alpha-m-to-y", "markdown": "# Monkey Man\n\n**Monkey Man** is a 2024 action thriller directed by [Dev Patel](https://www.edgepedia.org/dev-patel) in his feature directorial debut, in which he also stars as Kid, an underground fighter who wages a violent campaign of revenge against the corrupt elite responsible for his mother's death. Patel wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee, and the film was produced by [Jordan Peele](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordan-peele)'s Monkeypaw Productions and released by [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures) on April 5, 2024.[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director and star | Dev Patel, in his feature directorial debut; story by Patel, screenplay by Patel, Paul Angunawela, and John Collee[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man) |\n| Premise | Kid, a scarred man eking out a living in underground fight clubs while wearing a gorilla mask, infiltrates his city's corrupt elite to avenge the men who destroyed his childhood[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man) • [3](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/monkey-man) |\n| Mythological source | Inspired by the Hindu deity Hanuman, revered for strength, loyalty, and courage; Patel compared the deity to Superman[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) |\n| Release | April 5, 2024 (United States), Universal Pictures; 121 minutes; rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, rape, language throughout, sexual content/nudity, and drug use[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man) • [3](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/monkey-man) |\n| Producers | Dev Patel, Jomon Thomas, Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, and Anjay Nagpal[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man) |\n| Box office opening | Over $10 million across more than 3,000 North American theaters in its first weekend, the second-highest grossing film domestically that weekend[4](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/08/monkey-man-box-office-netflix-politics-india) |\n| Critical scores | Metascore 70 on Metacritic (48 reviews, none negative); 89% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer across 306 reviews[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/monkey-man/critic-reviews/) • [6](https://movie.guru/monkey-man-movie-review) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot and setting\n\nThe film follows Kid, a young man with no name living in a fictional Indian city, who earns money in an underground fight club where, night after night, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters while wearing a gorilla mask. Scarred by a childhood in which his mother Neela (Adithi Kalkunte) was murdered during a violent land grab, he finds a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city's sinister elite and launches a campaign of retribution against the men who took everything from him.[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/47d28b09ee9b123ec9efc138a446a927)\n\nThe setting is a gritty city reminiscent of Mumbai; the AP review identifies it by the fictional name Yatana.[7](https://apnews.com/article/47d28b09ee9b123ec9efc138a446a927) Along the way Kid is mentored by the sage Alpha ([Vipin Sharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/vipin-sharma)) and finds allies among a group of transgender women in hiding, and the story draws parallels between his journey and the Ramayana, including a subplot in which he tries to rescue an escort named Sita ([Sobhita Dhulipala](https://www.edgepedia.org/sobhita-dhulipala)) from a brothel frequented by the police inspector Rana ([Sikandar Kher](https://www.edgepedia.org/sikandar-kher)).[7](https://apnews.com/article/47d28b09ee9b123ec9efc138a446a927) • [8](https://time.com/6963482/monkey-man-political-critique/) The cast also includes Sharlto Copley as Tiger, Pitobash, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Makarand Deshpande.[1](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man)\n\n## Hanuman and the film's meaning\n\nPatel first pitched the film as \"a revenge film about faith.\" He has said the project was inspired by the legend of Hanuman, the Hindu deity revered for strength, loyalty, and courage, and that he saw parallels between [Hindu mythology](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindu-mythology) and the iconography of modern superheroes like Superman.[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) His grandfather told him stories from the Ramayana, particularly of Hanuman, when he was a child, and his father wears a necklace with a Hanuman pendant.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dev-patel-shares-how-money-man-shows-whats-going-on-in-india-we-give-a-voice-to-the-voiceless-9231469/)\n\n**Faith and politics.** Patel has described the film as being about how faith can be a beautiful teacher but can also be weaponized and monetized, and he wanted to fuse that mythology with his love of the action genre, placing the stories within a caste system and the conflict of the poor against the elite.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dev-patel-shares-how-money-man-shows-whats-going-on-in-india-we-give-a-voice-to-the-voiceless-9231469/) Critics read the film as commentary on contemporary India: Time noted its opposition to the growing Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) movement and its use of footage of real protests against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without naming the party or the prime minister.[8](https://time.com/6963482/monkey-man-political-critique/) The Guardian observed that the film incorporates the caste system and class divisions and refers to tribal land grabs and slum clearances, while judging the political commentary somewhat vague.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/07/monkey-man-review-dev-patel-directs-and-stars-in-a-bloody-revenge-thriller)\n\nOne visible change accompanied the release: the first trailer, issued in January 2024, showed the villain's political supporters brandishing saffron-orange flags and posters, a color closely linked to [Hindu nationalism](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindu-nationalism), but by the film's March premiere those posters had been edited to appear red. Universal Pictures did not respond to a request for comment on the change.[8](https://time.com/6963482/monkey-man-political-critique/)\n\n## A decade-long, disaster-prone production\n\nPatel worked on the project for roughly a decade; he began writing it at a point in his career when, he said, the industry did not see actors like him as action leads, and he wanted to make a film for the kid who grew up watching [Bruce Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-lee) films.[11](https://concreteplayground.com/perth/arts-entertainment/dev-patel-interview-monkey-man) • [12](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/dev-patel-2025-hollywood-portfolio-interview) He announced the project as his directorial debut in October 2018.[13](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-hindu-deity-hanuman-inspired-dev-patels-monkey-man-180984098/)\n\nProduction was repeatedly derailed. Filming was underway in India when the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down, and the production shifted to a small island in Indonesia, where filming eventually wrapped in March 2021.[13](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-hindu-deity-hanuman-inspired-dev-patels-monkey-man-180984098/) • [14](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2868832-dev-patels-debut-film-monkey-man-a-crash-course-in-multitasking) The physical toll was severe: Patel broke his hand, broke his foot (a stuntman's accident cost him several toes just before production restarted), tore his shoulder, and broke a wrist, so that numerous fight scenes were performed one-handed.[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) • [15](https://rollingstoneindia.com/there-were-punches-i-didnt-want-to-pull-why-dev-patel-needed-to-make-monkey-man/) • [16](https://origin.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/62310/1/monkey-man-film-review-dev-patel-interview-2024) Because the film was set in India but shot in Indonesia, post-production work added buildings, environments, and skylines to sell the location.[17](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/stage23-bring-dev-patels-vision-to-life-for-monkey-man/)\n\n**Rescue by Jordan Peele.** After the film was completed, Netflix acquired it and then dropped it, and the project sat in limbo; Patel said the studio that first acquired it \"didn't really know what they'd bargained for,\" since the film is denser than a straightforward action picture.[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) • [4](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/08/monkey-man-box-office-netflix-politics-india) He was ready to let it go when Jordan Peele, founder of [Monkeypaw Productions](https://www.edgepedia.org/monkeypaw-productions), bought it through his production partnership with Universal Pictures, saying the film was \"demanding to be on the big screen.\"[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) Universal gave the filmmakers extra funding to polish postproduction elements.[15](https://rollingstoneindia.com/there-were-punches-i-didnt-want-to-pull-why-dev-patel-needed-to-make-monkey-man/)\n\n## Release and reception\n\nMonkey Man premiered at the [South by Southwest](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-by-southwest) festival on March 11, 2024, where it received a standing ovation and Patel was moved to tears on stage.[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) It opened in the United States on April 5, 2024, grossing over $10 million in its first weekend across more than 3,000 theaters.[4](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/08/monkey-man-box-office-netflix-politics-india) In India, where movies and politics are often intertwined, the film was still awaiting clearance by the country's censor board at the time of the American release, and its scheduled April 19 date was delayed.[2](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3) • [8](https://time.com/6963482/monkey-man-political-critique/) Home release followed on digital on June 11, 2024, on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 25, 2024, and the film began streaming exclusively on Peacock on June 14, 2024.[18](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/press-release/monkey-man-press-release)\n\nCritics generally responded well. The film holds a Metascore of 70 on Metacritic, with 38 of 48 critic reviews positive, 10 mixed, and none negative, and an 89% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/monkey-man/critic-reviews/) • [6](https://movie.guru/monkey-man-movie-review) Reviewers repeatedly compared it to [John Wick](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-wick) while noting its differences: Time Out called it possibly the most ferocious mainstream action movie since The Raid, praising its grimy realism and political edge, while the Guardian's SXSW review found the nearly two hours almost relentlessly grim.[19](https://www.timeout.com/movies/monkey-man-2024) • [20](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/12/monkey-man-movie-review-dev-patel-sxsw) [Sight and Sound](https://www.edgepedia.org/sight-and-sound) praised the persistence of human weakness amid the ultraviolent spectacle but found the film's multiple story threads and political satire sat awkwardly with the action.[21](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/monkey-man-dev-patel-wreaks-brutal-havoc-muddled-enthralling-revenge-drama) The Independent noted its homage to Indonesian, Korean, Indian, and Hong Kong action cinema, citing The Raid, Oldboy, Koyla, and [Enter the Dragon](https://www.edgepedia.org/enter-the-dragon).[22](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/monkey-man-review-rotten-tomatoes-dev-patel-b2524669.html)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Monkey Man, Monkeypaw Productions](https://www.monkeypawproductions.com/productions/monkey-man)\n2. [How Dev Patel got 'Monkey Man,' his directorial debut beset by challenges, to the finish line, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ae29911f5f3c714b0222723ed4cfdbe3)\n3. [Monkey Man, Universal Pictures At Home](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/monkey-man)\n4. [\"Monkey Man\" surpasses $10 million in first weekend domestic box office sales, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/08/monkey-man-box-office-netflix-politics-india)\n5. [Monkey Man critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/monkey-man/critic-reviews/)\n6. [Monkey Man (2024), movie.guru](https://movie.guru/monkey-man-movie-review)\n7. [Movie Review: Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man' is a political allegory bathed in blood, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/47d28b09ee9b123ec9efc138a446a927)\n8. [Monkey Man's Political Critique Misses the Point, Time](https://time.com/6963482/monkey-man-political-critique/)\n9. [Dev Patel shares how Monkey Man shows 'what's going on in India', The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dev-patel-shares-how-money-man-shows-whats-going-on-in-india-we-give-a-voice-to-the-voiceless-9231469/)\n10. [Monkey Man review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/07/monkey-man-review-dev-patel-directs-and-stars-in-a-bloody-revenge-thriller)\n11. [From 'Skins' to Directing, Writing and Starring in a New Action Standout: Dev Patel Talks 'Monkey Man', Concrete Playground](https://concreteplayground.com/perth/arts-entertainment/dev-patel-interview-monkey-man)\n12. [Dev Patel on Monkey Man, Tiny Cars, and Why His First Show Is \"the Little Rash That Won't Go Away\", Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/dev-patel-2025-hollywood-portfolio-interview)\n13. [How the Hindu Deity Hanuman Inspired Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man', Smithsonian Magazine](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-hindu-deity-hanuman-inspired-dev-patels-monkey-man-180984098/)\n14. [Dev Patel's debut film 'Monkey Man' a crash course in multitasking, Devdiscourse](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2868832-dev-patels-debut-film-monkey-man-a-crash-course-in-multitasking)\n15. ['There Were Punches I Didn't Want to Pull': Why Dev Patel Needed to Make 'Monkey Man', Rolling Stone India](https://rollingstoneindia.com/there-were-punches-i-didnt-want-to-pull-why-dev-patel-needed-to-make-monkey-man/)\n16. [Dev Patel on Monkey Man: 'This film is just as chaotic as I am', Dazed](https://origin.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/62310/1/monkey-man-film-review-dev-patel-interview-2024)\n17. [Stage23 bring Dev Patel's vision to life for Monkey Man, Ausfilm](https://www.ausfilm.com.au/news/stage23-bring-dev-patels-vision-to-life-for-monkey-man/)\n18. [Monkey Man Press Release, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment](https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/press-release/monkey-man-press-release)\n19. [Monkey Man Review, Time Out](https://www.timeout.com/movies/monkey-man-2024)\n20. [Monkey Man review – Dev Patel's directorial debut is a gory descent into darkness, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/12/monkey-man-movie-review-dev-patel-sxsw)\n21. [Monkey Man review, Sight and Sound, BFI](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/monkey-man-dev-patel-wreaks-brutal-havoc-muddled-enthralling-revenge-drama)\n22. [Monkey Man review: Dev Patel does it all in an India-set action thriller with shades of John Wick, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/monkey-man-review-rotten-tomatoes-dev-patel-b2524669.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action thrillers, 2020s › Crime, assassin, and vigilante thrillers › Titles M to Y*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Monkey Man\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Monkey Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man](https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Monkey Man\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/monkey-man. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Monkey Man is a 2024 action thriller, Dev Patel's directorial debut, starring Patel as Kid, an underground fighter avenging his mother's murder." }