Monkey Man

Dev Patel marks his directorial debut with Monkey Man, which he also stars in and cowrites with Paul Angunawela and John Collee. In it, Patel portrays Kid, who wages a one man war against corrupt Indian government officials responsible for his mother's death. Kid's actions in turn inspire a community of transgender people, themselves targeted by the same officials, to aid him in his quest. The writing from the three is absolutely phenomenal, but it's Patel's work behind the camera that truly stands out. His style, especially this being his first, is incredible with how brutal and well choreographed the action scenes are. It helps that the camera remains steady while moving smoothly through the martial arts sequences, Sharone Meir's cinematography is equal parts grungy and vibrant, and the editing from Dávid Jancsó, Tim Murrell, and Joe Galdo keep the action and pace perfectly balanced. With just a budget of ten million dollars, Monkey Man makes so many hundred million dollar budgets seem pale in comparison. Over all: 100%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. Monkey Man

3. Late Night with the Devil

4. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

5. The Book of Clarence

6. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

7. Drive-Away Dolls

8. Kung Fu Panda 4

9. Lisa Frankenstein

10. Argylle

11. Mean Girls 2024