Kid (Dev Patel) wears a mask inspired by the Hindu deity Hanuman in “Monkey Man.” (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Dev Patel’s career has been on a fascinating trajectory since 2021’s “The Green Knight,” a surrealist Arthurian adaptation. His directorial debut “Monkey Man” keeps that party going. This is the kind of bloody, abstract revenge story Freudians salivate over.

At first, it feels like a simple actioner. Set in a fictional Indian city, Kid (Patel) methodically works his way closer to corrupt police chief Rana (Sikandar Kher). It might look like a “John Wick” flick – it even includes an overt reference to those films – but Kid isn’t a seasoned killer.

Sure, he can take a beating, often throwing fights at underground boxing matches. He’s reviled, but no worries. He’s only known as the Monkey Man, thanks to the mask and occasional persona during his regular bloodied bouts.

That mask is no coincidence. It invokes the Hindu deity Hanuman, whose story begins the film and peppers the plot structure. Nothing supernatural occurs (perhaps that’s debatable), and yet this feels like a deeply religious experience. Hindu iconography adorns various scenes. And Kid’s own surrealist encounters might easily be diagnosed as generalized archetypes, his unconscious desires erupting, but that omits the care that goes into this rich subtext.

Other news outlets have identified various parallels between “Monkey Man” and Hanuman, along with other elements derived from the ancient text “Ramayana.” But what matters here is that Patel’s film presents Hinduism from the margins, confronting Hindu nationalism in the process.

How the film does this is half the fun, so no spoilers here. It’s hard to miss though. Just look for any depictions of outsiders, folks without material, social or cultural capital. Their inclusion amounts to a wonderfully unhinged final showdown, that kind you just can’t predict. It makes for entertaining cinema.

Unfortunately, the pools of blood that drench “Monkey Man’s” third act might drown out Patel’s political message. Villain Baba Shakti (Makrand Deshpande), a beloved and equally vile spiritual leader, even attempts to thwart Kid by feigning concern for the cycle of violence that will only restart with Kid’s actions.

That’s a valid concern, one “Monkey Man” doesn’t dare consider. Instead, we have to settle for the catharsis as the myth of receptive violence rules the day.

Ethical quandaries aside, nobody saw a trailer for “Monkey Man” and expected any commentary at all, just action and maybe some creative kills (look out for an elevator scene with a knife – it doesn’t disappoint). But one of the film’s producers, Jordan Peele, might serve as a degree of proof that something more than violence for its own sake would be on display.

More than anything, this is an exciting film for what it represents. Indian representation in American theaters is often limited to special screenings of Bollywood films or the rare arthouse film at a nearby Laemmle. But an actioner set in India for Western audiences – more of that, please.

And Patel’s first feature as director, along with co-writer and producer, is a triumph for happening at all. This endured funding obstacles that slowed or limited production. Whatever he does next will hopefully receive a whole lot more support. His is a voice worth hearing, worth refining.

As for “Monkey Man,” it’s worth a view for those thrilling sequences and unpredictable story beats. Add to that, this one also sports its own unique visual style, defiantly refusing a boilerplate aesthetic often associated with big dumb stories. It’s a good time, raw and imperfect it may be.

Dev Patel stars in his directorial debut, the action thriller “Monkey Man.” (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)