The Night Comes for Us

For the first time without his brother, Timo Tjahjanto delivers another action gem that will definitely put a smile on your face, and as it works perfectly as a replacement for the cancelled The Raid 3. It's worth noting that Timo made his name with the horror film Macabre (still one of the most brutal exploitation films ever) so the primary fiddle is played by gore and violence, which is abundant here, and I really like his approach to the genre because he is one of the few to push the boundaries, show things that are taboo and shy away from absolutely nothing. That fascinates me because Americans can be quietly envious. Acting wise the film is top notch, it brings together a familiar cast, but it took me a little to get used to Iko Uwais being a villain, but thankfully Joe Taslim has charisma to spare, but surprisingly Julie Estelle shines the most, she immediately needs her own solo outing. The action hardly takes its foot off the gas it's one ultra brutal carnage where everyone is slashing with whatever is at hand, limbs are broken in all sorts of ways and multiple fighting styles are used. Tjahjanto revels in lethal destruction and I go crazy right along with him. The biggest highlight is definitely Julie Estelle versus two lesbians, and I don't think there has been a better female fight, and of course the finale, which takes the best of The Raid 2, and Joe Taslim versus Uwais as a battle of brothers was quite emotional, and of course the choreography can't be faulted. Not just to praise, there are of course some issues. I found the visuals rather average, at times I felt the characters were surviving the impossible and I was a little disappointed that there was no new action discovery. But these are irrelevant little things that didn't spoil the experience for me. Anyone who likes confident action, uncompromising and brutal films will be satisfied. Those who slept through Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme will probably grumble. An action fan can't go below 3* here. I'm looking forward to May the Devil Take You and hope that in the years to come the Mo Brothers will continue to satisfy me, because there aren't that many smart filmmakers out there right now. 90% (20/10/2018)

A bloody action flick from Indonesia with shooting, stabbing, cutting, chopping, breaking and beating aplenty – all happening as a truly sublime and jaw-dropping choreography of rough fights. The pacey direction is full of little gems and entertains from start to finish. I don’t know what else to say. In short, it’s a must see – an absolute must for The Raid 1 and 2 fans. [Sitges 2018] (07/10/2018)

Slaughter filmed in a highly cultivated style. The story is just chaotic filler between action scenes full of raw meat, bones and blood. The characters have strange motivations and frequently behave illogically, but that doesn’t really matter too much. Friends from The Raid simply had a bit of fun together and give us several unforgettable fight scenes and painful moments served on a silver platter. Uwais seems to quite enjoy his unconventional role, but his performance is more or less standard. Julie Estelle reserved for herself the best fight involving two lesbian killers. Girl power! (29/04/2019)

This action thriller about the toughest gangs of the Asian underworld balances on the border between bloody entertainment and unpleasantly violent cruelty, when imaginative and technically perfect action shootouts and trick-based, make-up and choreographically embellished contact fights change from a juicy attraction for the hardy to an extremely brutal mutilation show. In terms of recent films it is perhaps comparable to The Raid 2, but it goes a bit further (the director was officially allowed to have free reign by Netflix, which he made exceptional use of). In the first half the story is a slightly chaotic jumble of constantly dying characters fighting each other on two sides of a barricade, between which they run all over the place and undercut each other, to the extent that the viewer loses interest in the protagonists and stops caring about how the film is going to end and is just looking forward to the next action sequence. Fortunately, this settles down in the second half. Who is against who is clearly defined, and the rest is a feverish massacre with physically intense action passages, which there are not that many of, but they are long and hellishly dense. (06/10/2018)

One big slaughter. The storyline here is just a pretext for putting puppets into scuffles. And other puppets (of both sexes) into even more scuffles. The relationship drama about friendship and betrayal here seems like being stabbed in the stomach – the knife is pulled out with a wince and no one cares about it five minutes later where there is yet another fight. For example, The Raid 2 followed a certain esthetic in its composition, where colors played an important role. The same was true of John Wick 2. This is just dirty, dull slaughter with some delicious gory bits. And while I enjoyed those immensely, it’s not enough to give the whole movie more stars. (30/10/2018)