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For all its twists and turns, Monkey Man is a film with a pretty straightforward mission. It’s a revenge movie, so we know early on what our hero wants, how he plans to get it, and what victory looks like for him. 

Still, by the time it’s all over, there’s plenty left to unpack. So, now that Dev Patel’s directorial debut is in theaters, let’s take a closer look at how it all ends. This is the ending of Monkey Man, explained.

What Happens During the Brutal Ending to Dev Patel’s Monkey Man?

Monkey Man begins with a pretty basic mission: Kid (Patel) wants to find and murder Rana (Sikandar Kher), the corrupt police chief who, years earlier, drove his family out of their home and murdered Kid’s mother. To do that, Kid needs to infiltrate the exclusive nightclub where Rana and his cohorts spend their evenings, working in the kitchen at first and then making his way up through the ranks until he can get to the VIP areas where Rana hangs out. 

Much of the movie concerns itself with this mission, as Kid works his way through the club, finds a way to smuggle a weapon inside, and then launches his attack on Rana. Sadly, he’s not ready for the level of violence with which Rana retaliates, and what should have been a simple assassination leads to serious injury, a manhunt, and a near-death experience for Kid. 

For More on Monkey Man:
Learn the Origins of Monkey Man‘s Title in New Featurette
Dev Patel Broke His Hand Filming Monkey Man And Just Kept Fighting
Dev Patel’s Monkey Man Premieres at SXSW to Standing Ovation

When Kid comes to, he finds himself in the midst of an underground Hindu temple where societal outcasts live, worship, and support each other. It’s here that, with time and certain enlightening toxins, Kid comes to understand that his mission is bigger than just Rana. His mother’s horrific death was just one tragic part of a larger system of corruption that consumes the entire region, a system in which the poor, the rebellious, and the merely different are continually pushed down by the rich and powerful. What’s more, this system is about far more than Rana. The whole operation is actually run by a spiritual leader known as Baba Shakti (Makarand Deshpande), who claims to be a man of the people but is actually just as corrupt as his underlings, handpicking elected officials and riding around in luxury cars even as he professes to be removed from the whole political machine. 

During his time at the hidden temple, Kid learns to fight in ways he couldn’t before. But through a search for enlightenment, he also discovers an important ingredient in his quest that he was missing before: A sense of community. What Kid lost all those years ago, when his mother died and his village was razed, was more than one person. It was a whole way of life, something he’s been without ever since, something he needs to rediscover if he’s ever going to achieve his goal. So, he embraces the sense of community at the heart of the temple, helps them with their financial troubles, and even learns to train in a whole new way to make himself a better fighter.

Finally, the film’s climax arrives, and Kid attacks the club with fresh eyes and stronger fists. He fights his way through the kitchen, through the bar, and –– with the help of temple warriors who show up to support him –– all the way up to the VIP areas of the building. There, he’s able to kill Rana, even as injuries start to slow him down, and pushes past his original goal to a new one: Baba Shakti himself. 

In the club’s penthouse, Baba Shakti waits, and tries to negotiate with the young warrior. When it’s clear that Kid will not be moved by his usual tactics, Baba Shakti reveals a hidden blade in one of his sandals, and stabs Kid between the ribs. Gravely wounded, Kid refuses to go down, pulls one of Shakti’s blades free, and stabs the leader of the whole corrupt machine to death. As the film ends, the authorities swarm outside, and as Kid realizes that he’s finally avenged his mother and can achieve peace, he falls. 

So, what happens after that? We’re not sure, but the implication is that Kid has died in fulfilling his mission, greeting his mother in the afterlife after achieving not just revenge, but justice for all the downtrodden people of his city. That said, it doesn’t mean the fight is over. Baba Shakti’s allies will still be there, still working to push down Kid’s friends, which means they’ll have to find their own inner strength if they’re ever going to push back against corruption and find some measure of equality. Luckily for them, they now have the example of the Monkey Man to follow. 

Monkey Man is in theaters now. Get tickets at Fandango.