When Dev Patel broke out as the star of the 2008 Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, it did two things for him. First, it made him a go-to actor who’s gone on to work with such notable filmmakers as John Madden, Aaron Sorkin, David Lowery, and Wes Anderson. But it also allowed him to represent his Indian heritage in a variety of ways, none more evident than in his feature writing/directing debut, Monkey Man.

Patel stars as an anonymous fighter who wears a monkey mask in underground bareknuckle bouts, led by promoter Tiger (Sharlto Copley) and cheered on by hundreds of gamblers. The “Monkey Man,” despite being the patsy in most of his fights, seems to use them as an outlet for his anger at the world at large, which robbed him of his mother at a young age and forced him to fend for himself for most of his life.

A variety of wealthy people, including Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar), Rana (Sikander Kher), and Baba Shakti (Makrand Deshpande), become the focus of his anger, and he concocts a plan to infiltrate their world in order to exact revenge for wrongs done against him and other downtrodden people. Along the way, he convinces multiple other people to help him in his quest, including club worker Alphonso (Pitobash) and guru Alpha (Vipin Sharma).

Co-written with Patel by Paul Angunawela and John Collee, the two-hour film is a curious mixture of ultra-intense action interspersed with quieter moments that delve into the main character’s background. His short relationship with his mom seems to be the driving force for almost all of his actions, and flashbacks to their time together – including her reading a book about the Hindu deity Hanuman, who has the face of a monkey – are the emotional heart of the film.

Aside from several official bareknuckle bouts, the movie only has two action sequences, but they are worth the price of admission alone. Both are extended scenes that last upwards of 10 minutes or longer, featuring some of the best fight choreography and cinematography you’re likely to see, as well as some innovative methods of violence. Squeamish people may balk at the gruesome results of the fights, but action fans will be cheering, as the scenes rank high, rivaling even those from the John Wick films.

Patel, however, is not out merely to appeal to bloodthirsty filmgoers. The film is clearly intended to be a criticism of the 3,000-year-old Indian caste system that continues to be used to subjugate people. The main character and his mom are part of a lower caste, and as an adult he has to exist on the margins, taking whatever lowly work he can get. Also, a middle section of the film highlights what’s known as a hijra, a group of transgender people led by a guru, in this case Alpha. The social commentary is at the center of the story, coloring every aspect of the hero’s journey.

Even though Patel has been showcased in previous films (most notably in 2021’s The Green Knight), his performance here deserves to be the springboard to full-on stardom. He is a man possessed in the film, with a palpable energy felt even when he’s not beating people to a pulp. His – or, perhaps, his casting director’s – knowledge of Indian actors serves him well, as the casting of people like Pitobash, Kher, Kalsekar, and more elevate the story.

Monkey Man is an auspicious feature filmmaking debut for Patel, marking him as one to watch in that sphere in addition to his normal space of acting. Using intense action to bring attention to issues many in the world may not even consider is indicative of a higher-level artistic mind, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

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Monkey Man opens in theaters on April 5.