Dev Patel Didn’t Want To Direct Monkey Man — But Another Filmmaker Convinced Him Otherwise [SXSW 2024]

Initially, Patel says he was hesitant, replying, “‘No, I can’t do it,'” but after reassurances from Blomkamp, he decided to step up to the plate. “I got reluctantly pushed into the driver’s seat and it unfolded from there,” he summarized. While it makes sense that Patel was nervous to transition to the role of director — especially for a film featuring so much complex stunt work — it’s becoming increasingly obvious that “Monkey Man” is not poised to crash and burn like so many actor-turned-director debuts before it. Reviews for the film began pouring from SXSW, and critics so far appear to be impressed by the filmmaking force on display.

“There’s more going on — visually, emotionally, thematically — in single moments of this ultra-violent action movie than you find in most films of the genre,” /Film’s Jacob Hall wrote in his hot-off-the-presses positive review. “To call it ambitious would be an understatement,” he adds, noting that the movie “burns with the passion and nerve of a filmmaker who thinks he’s not going to direct another film ever again.” This isn’t surprising given how incredible the first “Monkey Man” trailer looked, but it does mean we’re all the more eager to catch Patel’s action-thriller film when it hits theaters on April 5, 2024.