The trailer for “Monkey Man” dropped Friday, and it looks like Dev Patel is putting his real-life knife-fighting skills to the test.
Most of you will know Patel from hit films like “Slumdog Millionaire” or “Lion,” but “Monkey Man” looks like a far cry from his Oscar-worthy roles. Not only does Patel star in the film, but the action thriller will be his directorial debut. Apparently, the story revolves around “one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless,” the trailer describes.
Patel stars as “Kid,” an anonymous hero who spends his days making a pittance from an underground fight club. “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,” the trailer description continues.
Patel wrote the original story and co-authored the screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee, and stars a whole host of international stars. (RELATED: Apple’s Latest Mega TV Show ‘Shantaram’ Is Going To Totally Divide The Audience)
While the story might not be anything new — poor boy fights bad trauma — there is just something in the way the trailer is shot that suggests this movie might not just be a cult classic, but could reach an international audience in a way previously reserved for British and American-made action thrillers.
And since Patel really did stop a knife fight back in 2022 in Adelaide, Australia, perhaps this movie is his way of showing off his very real skills as a fighter? It also looks like Patel may have brought a fair bit of the dry British wit we all remember from “Skins.” And by “we,” I mean every British Millennial and literally no one else.
“Monkey Man” will hit cinemas on April 5.