Monkey Man
critic Reviews
, 89% Certified Fresh Tomatometer Score- An audacious effort from debuting director Dev Patel, Monkey Man dispenses action and sociopolitical commentary with equal aplomb.
- , Fresh Tomatometer ScorePeter RainerFilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
For what it is, it's quite effective and Patel is a credible action hero.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreDwight BrownDwightBrownInk.com
Over-the-top violence is rarely this much fun. First time directors are rarely this skillful.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreMark KermodeKermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)
Brutal, bone-crunching, neck-gouging set pieces, some great musical choices...
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreJames BerardinelliReelViews
This is a tense, engaging thriller where people are stabbed, shot, dismembered, and killed in a variety of graphic and unspeakable fashions. Monkey Man may be a silly-sounding title but the story it tells is anything but silly.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreStephanie ZacharekTIME Magazine
Dev Patel tries too hard, and for too much, in his directorial debut, but he's compelling enough to make you believe almost anything.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreJonathan DeanTimes (UK)
Monkey Man is not perfect, but it does not have to be. The film feels alive, with all the rush of Drive or Uncut Gems. This is not Bollywood — nobody sings — but rhythm is key.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreDan BuffaRamble On With Buffa (Substack)
Patel gives the film everything, injecting the action film genre with a new kind of cinema beast, one built to take a beating and find his revenge the cold, hard way. It's the first time I've left a film in 2024 and felt, "wow."
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreRohan NaaharThe Indian Express
Dev Patel’s controversial action film worships two gods, Hanuman and Amitabh Bachchan.
Read full article - , Rotten Tomatometer ScoreMark JohnsonAwards Daily
Monkey Man delivers a high-octane action/thriller reminiscent of the adrenaline-fueled John Wick series. It may appeal to fans seeking intense action, I found the emphasis on gratuitous violence and minimal plot development to be less satisfying.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreCory WoodroofFor the Win (USA Today)
The stylistic comparisons to John Wick are apt, but the headrush of passion is uniquely Patel’s.
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