Set in the British colonial era, Captain Miller is more unapologetically violent than its counterparts, but it’s not mindlessly so. Sure, the film has plenty of spectacle with numerous battles between townsfolk versus British colonialists, some scenes having gruesome, gory deaths. But in between these battles is Dhanush as the central character, contemplating the oppression from his fellow countrymen, the dignity denied to him from both the colony and more privileged locals, and the choices he chooses to make in spite of this. It’s not a straightforward bad versus good anti-colonial film like RRR, and it may not be as emotionally compelling, but Captain Miller is certainly a unique take on British colonialism with all of director Arun Matheswaran’s signature style.

Captain Miller might feel like a cowboy in the sense that he’s not quite a part of the town he’s protecting, but he protects them anyway. This lone ranger trope is familiar, but it feels more poignant within its context– because he was looked down upon by his fellow countrymen due to his caste, he chose to get stronger by joining the army, but because he was forced to go through the army’s atrocities, he can’t be easily accepted by the people that need his strength. This mostly is used to justify the unapologetic violence Eesa employs against his enemies, but it’s a unique take on British colonialism that empathizes with the tough choices people like Eesa made during the time.