Dev Patel has enjoyed a fascinating career over the past 19 years. He exploded onto the scene in Slumdog Millionaire, a role he earned after Danny Boyle’s daughter spotted Patel in Skins. His directorial debut, Monkey Man, is one of the most audacious action movies in modern memory. He’s a stellar performer, and the next chapter of his career could be stunning. Between his first appearance and his modern era, Patel starred in a shocking thriller called Hotel Mumbai that’s currently #5 on Netflix worldwide.
Dev Patel’s Hotel Mumbai Shocks a New Audience on Netflix
Hotel Mumbai is a pulse-pounding action thriller based on the very real 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Greek-Australian director Anthony Maras took inspiration from Surviving Mumbai, a documentary featuring countless interviews with survivors.Maras made his feature debut with Hotel Mumbai, which remains his only film. The story follows several unsuspecting innocents trapped in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the nightmarish attack. Dev Patel stars as Arjun, a waiter struggling to evacuate the structure. The film’s tight two-hour run flits violently between perspectives as characters slip in and out of focus. The characters establish themselves efficiently, but each appears believably human. Every survivor feels three-dimensional, but even the terrorists get a spotlight. Maras plays the attacks like a disaster movie, but the pulse-pounding action flirts with survival horror. It’s a stellar experience with an excellent cast, but its release was not free from controversy.
Hotel Mumbai reached the #5 slot on Netflix’s international top ten primarily through Latin American viewers. It’s the most-watched film in Mexico, Bolivia, Honduras, Ecuador, and several other nations in the region. Its release became complicated, but its current position feels secure. Four companies distributed the film, but two dropped out during the process. Netflix originally intended to handle distribution in India and surrounding territories, but they dropped the project in a dispute. New Zealand pulled it from cinemas after the Christchurch Shooting, sparking a grim discussion. For all its respectful presentation, Hotel Mumbai is an action movie based around a real terror attack. Many felt conflicted about the idea, but most critics supported Maras’s vision. His debut has a 76% positive score based on 215 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Its ambition is stunning for a first feature, but the story deserves a spotlight like this one.
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Monkey Man Review — Kid Goes ApeHotel Mumbai is a tough watch, but it’s well worth the exploration. It’s a moving story set against the backdrop of one of the most intense events in modern memory. Fans of Dev Patel will love this entry in his excellent filmography. This thriller deserves the attention it’s receiving on Netflix, even if it only came five years after its initial release.
