The Furious (dir. Kenji Tanigaki)

by Jack Martin | Jun 23, 2026

Certificate: 18

Running Time: 113 mins

UK Distributor: Lionsgate

UK Release Date: 26 June 2026

WHO’S IN THE FURIOUS?

Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Jeeja Yanin, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga, Yayan Ruhian, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Guo Junqing, Manatsanun Phanlerdwongsakul, Phet Suphadaeng, Winai Wiangyangkung, Kittiphoom Wongpentak

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Kenji Tanigaki (director), Frank Hui (writer, producer), Zhilong Lei, Tun Shu Mak, Aidan Parker and Kwan-Sin Shum (writers), Shan Tam (producer), Elliot Leung, Flying Lotus and Olivia Xiaolin (composers), Meteor Cheung (cinematographer), Chris Tonick (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A father (Miao) fights through a criminal empire to save his kidnapped daughter (Enyou)…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE FURIOUS?

Last year, it was announced that after decades of aggressive lobbying and campaigning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would finally be adding an award for Stunt Design to their annual Oscars ceremony. The catch? It won’t be implemented until the 100th edition in 2028, which as with all Oscars beforehand will recognise movies officially released the previous year.

This unfortunately means that director Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious, a stunt-fuelled action behemoth, will not be among the first nominees in that particular category. But I firmly guarantee that, had the Stunt Design Oscar been introduced a year earlier, it would at the very least have been a formidable frontrunner. That’s because the stunt work in this movie is simply astonishing to watch, not just expertly choreographed but also quite ferociously brutal in how the performers deliver and receive such intricately timed fighting moves. It is by far the most outstanding part of a film that is certainly very entertaining, but not quite as fresh as its action suggests.

Taking place in an unnamed city in Southeast Asia, the film primarily follows a mute Chinese man (Xie Miao) who lives a quiet life as a handyman, while occasionally housing his young daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou) whenever she comes to visit. But answers as to what kind of mysterious life he used to lead take a back seat when Rainy is suddenly kidnapped by a gang of child traffickers, whom her father perilously begins to search for after it’s clear that the police won’t do anything to help, least of all because they’re governed by the world’s most blatantly corrupt police chief (. Soon, he crosses paths with Navin (Joe Taslim), who is similarly searching for his journalist wife after she went missing whilst investigating the same trafficking ring, and the two men team up to scour the local criminal underworld to retrieve the stolen children and bring down the criminals however they can.

And that, as you may have already guessed, is where the heavy stunt work comes in. The Furious may not exactly be a traditional wuxia martial arts movie, but the characters sure as hell move like it’s one of them, as Tanigaki – himself a former stunt performer and choreographer – gets some serious power and speed out of his performers to where it wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary if, as in those classic wuxia films, some of them were to suddenly defy all the natural laws of physics. The attention to detail is simply extraordinary, as every single punch, kick et al practically comes with its own built-in sound effect that’s been sharpened to a point where the viewer can feel each blow as they watch it, while the camerawork is sturdy enough for all the action to be as perfectly visible as can be, capturing each vital frame of the choreography like it’s a Bolshoi Ballet production. It’s fantastically put together, with Tanigaki fully in command of the pace and energy that his vision requires, complete with some much-needed moments to breathe and even laugh in between all the carnage.

But while it is hugely entertaining, The Furious operates on a narrative that is perhaps a bit too straightforward, at least compared to similar action masterclasses. Comparisons to The Raid movies and the first Taken are inescapable, not just for its combined brutal Asia-set action and human trafficking subplot, but also in how Tanigaki’s film adopts a similar dour tone that carries it across numerous plot holes that you’re having too much fun to fully notice. There are some neat touches here and there, namely how the kidnapped Rainy isn’t simply a helpless waif that the main heroes must rescue, and how certain elements you wouldn’t expect to happen until much later in the film end up happening just before the second-to-third act break, but it is hard to shake the feeling that things would progress even quicker if particular characters, be they heroes or villains, didn’t make precise decisions that end up needlessly prolonging the inevitable.

It doesn’t help that some of the performances – not including our two leads, who do have a neat screen presence and work fairly well together – are a mixed bag, ranging from awkwardly stilted to going over-the-top with certain wrong inflictions, which in fairness is probably due to the dubbed English track that accompanies this release (or, at least, that’s what I’m hoping is the case). Plus, for as well-paced and exceptionally shot as the action is, there are certain sequences that can go on for a bit longer than they should, to where you almost dare to do the impossible during this utterly engrossing action spectacle and check your watch to see how much time is actually left.

Luckily, though, those negatives do not outweigh the positives; in fact, it’s very much the other way around. The Furious is a largely great action movie that delivers as much hard-knuckle and sometimes cartoonish violence as one can handle, within a setup that’s far from unique but still done well enough for you to enjoy the ride and stick around to see where it all eventually leads. It is also a film that benefits enormously from being seen with a crowd, one that will have just about every wince and gasp imaginable on standby as they witness some genuinely brutal action play out in front of their eyes.

It’s a shame that some of those eyes won’t belong to members of the Academy, whose long-awaited Stunt Design Oscar may just come too late to give this film and its embattled coordinators the flowers that they deserve.

SO, TO SUM UP…

The Furious is a largely great action extravaganza that boasts some absolutely fantastic fight choreography in a plot that, while far from fresh and full of holes as well as the odd awkward performance, still goes out of its way to give the viewer a huge dose of unfiltered entertainment.