It’s impossible to hate Dev Patel, that’s just one of the facts of life. Since his breakout role in Slumdog Millionaire, he’s proven time and time again that the has the charm, the looks, and the acting chops. He’s the ultimate movie star package. In fact, there’s a very good argument to be made that he should be the next James Bond.

Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man has been a major passion project for the Oscar-nominated actor, and it’s one that came very close to never happening. After having first been announced in 2018, the film was finally set to enter production in 2020, but filming plans were canceled due to COVID-19. After production wrapped, Netflix acquired rights to the film, but after reevaluating some of the riskier content in the movie, the streamer was ready to sell the film. That’s when Oscar winner Jordan Peele came in, who was shown an early cut of the movie and believed that Patel’s vision deserved a theatrical release.

After some incredible trailers and stellar buzz from its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, Monkey Man is finally here.

Patel stars as Kid. Orphaned as a young child, he now spends his adult life participating in underground fight tournaments whilst wearing a monkey mask. His one goal is to track down the corrupt political leaders responsible for his mother’s murder. Kid finds a way to get hired as a server at a high-class restaurant, which brings him face-to-face with the same dangerous politicians responsible for his life circumstances. It’s only a matter of time before Kid begins to move forward with his path for justice. 

The marketing for Monkey Man has tried to sell the movie as Patel’s take on John Wick, complete with guns, hand-to-hand combat, and a self-aware sense of humor. While the movie does offer plenty of high-octane action, particularly in its third act, this isn’t too similar to the popular Keanu Reeves franchise. This revenge action flick draws from Indian folklore, with biting political commentary and tackling themes of gender, religion, and class.

Patel inserts a lot of personality and flair into his direction. For a directorial debut, he makes some extremely bold decisions in terms of blurring the line between what’s real and what’s not. However, the first 20 minutes almost feel like sensory overload. The constant shaky camera movements, the abundance of close-up shots, and the flashes of bright neon colors give very little time to let the audience breathe. While this isn’t necessarily a major flaw as it seems like it was Patel’s artistic intent, it will take you a little bit longer than you might expect to get on the movie’s wavelength.

Once Kid begins to make his dreams of vengeance a reality, Monkey Man truly begins to flourish. The film shows no restraint from portraying the cruel and even gross levels of violence, yet it is still incredibly easy to root for the titular anti-hero. This isn’t just a showcase of Patel’s filmmaking chops, but it also feels like a further reminder that Patel is a truly one-of-a-kind acting talent. Even when he’s bashing a man’s head into a dirty toilet, Patel’s suaveness knows no limits. 

Monkey Man also boasts an entertaining supporting cast, and while Patel’s screentime is far greater than any of his co-stars, much of the ensemble does the most with what they are given. Without question, the biggest standouts outside Patel are PItobash as Kid’s wise-cracking co-worker Alphonso who gets a handful of effective laughs, and Vipin Sharma as Alpha, a kind trans woman who helps reawaken Kid’s spiritual side.

We don’t often get action movies that feel as fresh and as unique as Monkey Man. Here is a film that’s more than a clone of films that came before like John Wick and The Raid. As a director, Patel delivers on all fronts, giving us the thrills, gripping action set-pieces, and violence that we were promised from the trailers, while also giving us themes that will stick with us long after we leave the theater. Considering the amount of setbacks and challenges Patel faced while filming his debut, it’s hard to say when he’ll sit in the director’s chair again. Hopefully, it is sooner rather than later, as Monkey Man is one of the better directorial debuts we’ve seen in quite some time.

Monkey Man is in theaters nationwide now.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• Likely none. Considering that the Academy often has an aversion to R-rated action fare (with a few exceptions), it’s hard to see Monkey Man receiving any nominations. Perhaps makeup & hairstyling and costume design, for the costumes worn in the film’s final battle?