‘Monkey Man’ Review: Dev Patel’s Directorial Debut Packs A One-Two Punch Of Action And Social Commentary – SXSW
Dev Patel’s Monkey Man draws from the ancient lore surrounding Hanuman, a revered figure in Hindu tradition symbolizing intellect, might, valor, fidelity and discipline — much like his character in this film who is the underdog savior of the broken and the displaced. Having written, directed and starred in the film, Patel derives a lot of inspiration from familiar action films to create something refreshing and new, while also educating the audience on some of the ongoing disparities taking place in India, particularly between the haves and the have-nots. His kinetic direction and tense fight sequences, mixed with a deep reverence of Indian folklore, helps stake his claim as a future of action cinema.