Title – The Furious (2025)
Director – Kenji Tanigaki (Enter the Fat Dragon)
Cast – Miao Xie, Joe Taslim, Brian Le, Yayan Ruhian
Plot – When his young daughter is kidnapped, mute father Wang Wei (Xie) teams up with grieving widow Navin (Taslim) to track and hunt down all those responsible for his daughter’s disappearance, stopping at nothing to bring her home.
“Father says no trespassing”
Review by Eddie on 30/09/2026
Dealing with the elephant in the room first up, The Furious isn’t the new The Raid but that’s not to say Kenji Tanigaki’s adrenaline filled action film isn’t a rollicking good time.
Premiering at last year’s Toronto International Festival to rapturous applause and plaudits, Tanigaki’s Chinese backed bone-cruncher that’s set in Thailand and even features The Raid cult favourite Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian) has become an instant success and is set to become a long-term cult favourite for those that have enjoyed Gareth Evan’s Raid outings and other copycats such as Headshot and The Night Comes for Us.
Enlisting the support of Miao Xie and Joe Taslim to enact out all manner of hand to hand, hammer to body and microphone justice to a group of generic baddies who make a living from kidnapping innocent children for all type of evil money-making opportunities, Furious makes no apologies for its barebones plot and sub-par script work to turn its attention to a large procession of action set pieces that are sure to appease those seeking this type of manic action.
Not as visceral and intense as the highs of this cinematic action sub-genre that we saw in Evans standout Raid offerings, Furious still has a lot you could write home about and when the film enters into its final set piece, there’s nothing that can prepare you for what you witness, which can only be described as one of the most interesting and noteworthy fight scenes in modern cinema.
With able support for Tanigaki’s main duo thanks to the aforementioned Ruhian and scene stealer Brian Le who plays big hulking henchman Ho, everything that Furious enacts in its tale culminates in a fascinating and unique manner that showcases Tanigaki and his team can match it with the best, creating a fun, frantic and unforgettable 20 minutes that puts most Hollywood action productions to shame.
Let down by some questionable acting turns and some amateurish production sensibilities, Furious is a rough around the edges affair but there’s an undeniable and infectious energy on display throughout this wild feature, ensuring it’s the perfect film for a room full of snacks and willing viewers ready to wince and cheer throughout.
Final Say –
Sharing more than a little DNA with the Raid films, The Furious may not match it with the best but there’s a lot to enjoy here, including a final battle that will not soon be forgotten.
3 1/2 garbage bags out of 5
