Monkey Man Ending, Explained: What happens to Kid?

Dev Patel co-wrote and directed the new revenge action flick, Monkey Man, as well as taking on the lead role of the anonymous underground fighter seeking revenge for his mother’s death. Fans and critics are raving about the John Wick-esque adrenaline-fuelled instant classic, after it was released in theaters on Friday, April 5.

Jordan Peele is on board as a producer, after he saved the project when it was shelved by Netflix, distributing it through his aptly titled, Monkeypaw Productions, which has a deal with Universal, securing the action movie a much-needed cinematic release. Monkey Man earned a respectable $10.1 million in its opening weekend, entering the chart in second place, behind Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

What is Monkey Man about?

An anonymous man known as Kid (Dev Patel), who spends his time underground fighting to make money and covering up his identity by wearing a monkey mask, is trying to track down and murder a corrupt police chief called Rana, (Sikandar Kher) who raped and killed his mother many years earlier.

Kid needs to infiltrate the exclusive nightclub where Rana and his crew spend their time, and works in the kitchen at first before making his way up through the ranks until he can get access to the VIP areas where Rana spends his evenings.

He finds a way to smuggle a weapon inside and launches his attack on Rana, but he underestimates the violent response to his initial attack, and retreats after a serious injury, and builds himself up to launch another attack on Rana at the club.

How does Monkey Man end?

After an incredible action fight with Rana in the bathroom at the club, Kid escapes and goes on the run, but eventually passes out from his injuries. When he regains consciousness, he finds himself in an underground Hindu temple where societal outcasts live, worship, and support each other. Whilst resting and recuperating here, Kid experiences some enlightening toxins, which help him to understand that his mission should be about more than merely getting revenge on Rana and his cohorts.

The system of corruption consumes the whole region, and the Kid’s mother’s violent murder was just one of a series of tragic events to happen. The poor, the rebellious, and the social outcasts are consistently pushed down by the rich and powerful in society. The Kid realizes that the whole operation is run by a corrupt spiritual leader known as Baba Shakti.

During his time recovering at the temple, the Kid learns to fight in ways he couldn’t have achieved before, and learns the valuable lesson of being part of a community. He embraces the people of the temple and helps them with their many troubles, and learns to train in a totally new way in order to become a much more resilient and stronger fighter.

Kid attacks the club and fights his way through the kitchen and the bar. With the support of the temple warriors who show up to support him, he makes his way up to the VIP areas of the building where Rana is hiding, and a brutal final battle takes place against Rana. The Kid eventually defeats his opponent, but it isn’t over yet.

In the club’s penthouse, the Kid tracks down the ultimate villain of the movie: Baba Shakti. They face off against each other, and Baba Shakti reveals a hidden blade in one of his sandals, and stabs Kid between the ribs. However, Kid refuses to be defeated and pulls one of Shakti’s blades free, stabbing the leader of the corrupt operation to death.

As the film ends, the authorities are waiting outside, with the Kid achieving his ultimate goal of avenging his mother’s murder and, at that moment, he gains ultimate peace, but ultimately falls down to the ground due to his severe injuries.

The suggestion is that Kid has died after fulfilling his violent revenge mission, as he appears to greet his mother in the afterlife, but this is left open to the interpretation of the audience, with Monkey Man 2 not completely out of the question.