Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Sikandar Kher, Makarand Deshpande
OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆
Story: Action thriller directed and co-written by Dev Patel. Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man (2024) centers on Kid (Dev Patel), an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Where to Watch:
Best Quotes from Monkey Man
Baba Shakti: In the great tapestry of life, just one small ember can burn down everything.
Tiger: We here all worship one god, the Indian rupee!
Tiger: Sarishan, what’s this f***ing stomach? Too many samosas. You’re the Lizard King, not the f***ing Samosa King, okay?
Tiger: You want another fifty percent, you bleed. That’s why it’s called the bleed bonus.
Kid: [shows Queenie the scars on his hand] This. There’s my CV. That’s bleach. Chemical. Oil. Give me the job no one wants to do, and I’ll do it. No complaint. This is all I know.
Queenie: Anyone who talks outside these walls, anyone who forgets their place, it doesn’t turn out well for them. Understood?
Kid: Understood.
Gun Dealer: I got an answer to every prayer. You like John Wick? Because this just came in. Yeah. The TTI. Same gun from the movie. But made in China.
Alphonso: [to Kid] Eyes to the ground unless someone calls you, then you will get over there like you got a chili up your a**hole.
Alphonso: [to Kid, referring to his tuk-tuk] Isn’t she beautiful? I call her Nicki. Minaj! Big bumper, nice headlights. Huh? Come on, brother. Let’s boogie.
Alphonso: You’re living the life, bro. We’re rolling with the kings now, huh?
Kid: They don’t even see us. They’re all up there living, and we’re stuck here in this. That’s no life, bro.
Sita: [to Kid] Stop feeding that dog. It’s going to keep coming back expecting more. Just gives her hope.
Kid: [pointing his gun at Rana, in Hindi] Blessings from my mother.
Alphonso: [to Kid] Out of all the f***ing cars in there, you stole mine?
Neela: [to young Kid, in Hindi] Our hands also have roots. They tell us what we’ll do in the future. What will you do in the future?
Alpha: Parvati and Shiva. One half devotion, the other destruction. Male. Female. Neither. Both. Some people find that strange. But we hijras understand it completely.
Alpha: [to Kid] You should’ve died from those injuries. The gods must have a greater plan for you. We all have scars.
Baba Shakti: [referring to Kid] Who is he?
Rana: He’s a nobody. Just some crazy kid from the gutter.
Baba Shakti: People once said that about me.
Rana: And now look at you. You’re the nation’s lion.
Baba Shakti: [referring to Kid] The very idea of him has to be extinguished. Find him. Before your nobody becomes a somebody.
Kid: [referring to his mother, Neela] Her scream. It’s been inside me my whole life.
Alpha: I was once like you. A broken man. A slave to childhood terrors. I learned that you need to destroy in order to grow. To create space for new life.
Alpha: Within its root lies a potent toxin. We call it Trishul after Shiva’s trident. It will cut you open. Only a weakened man can benefit from this. Only a strong man can survive it.
Alpha: The pain. It will leave you once it’s finished teaching you.
Alpha: You tried to save her. You see scars. I see the courage of a child fighting to save his mother. These are the hands of a warrior who’s destined to challenge the gods.
Alpha: All your life, you’ve been fighting to feel pain. You need to fight for a purpose. Fight, for all of us. It’s time to remember who you are.
Alpha: Close your eyes, and you will find yourself sitting atop a mighty tree. This is your home. You are a beast. Look beneath the surface, and you will see roots deep under the soil, reaching far and wide. These are the roots of your ancestors, the soul of your mother. Listen to her. You have nothing to fear. You’ve been here for time.
Tiger: He’s evil. He’s ferocious. He’s a dark destroyer. I give you, Kong! Do you want to see these two animals fight? The snake and the monkey. Fight!
Tiger: Looks like we got a cheeky little monkey on our hands tonight.
Baba Shakti: [to Kid] So, you are the one? Look at them all. Diwali. The triumph of light over darkness. The defeat of Ravan. But Ravan was no demon. He was a scholar. A visionary. He built an empire from nothing. Why not end this cycle of violence? Or we will be trapped in it for generations.
Kid: Do you even know my mother’s name? Do you know any of their names?
Baba Shakti: Anger will not quiet your soul, my son.
Kid: Don’t call me “son”.
Baba Shakti: “Forgive me, Mother Earth, for the sin of injury which I inflict with each step.”
Baba Shakti: I’ll give you what you want. I’ll do anything. Forgive me. Have mercy, please.
Kid: Only God can forgive you now.
Young Kid: [in flashback as Kid remembers his mother, in Hindi] Oh God, I worship you. I only worship you. You are the most powerful one. You are my savior. You make us smile. And fill our hearts with love. All around the world. In my heart. In my home. You are everywhere. In every root, and every drop of water. With our eyes. With our ears. On our lips. We say your name. I sing your praise, day and night. Oh God, I worship you. Oh God, I worship you.