New martial arts revenge thriller, The Furious, might just end up being the surprise hit of the year. Starring Joe Taslim and Xie Miao, the film has had growing buzz from the film festival circuit and the anticipation is growing.
Miao plays Wang Wei, whose daughter is kidnapped by an organized crime network. Like any good action film, Wei takes matters into his own hands with the help of Taslim’s Navin, a journalist who has his own score to settle. Taslim, who stars as Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat and the upcoming Mortal Kombat II, is one of the best martial artists in film today. His performance in the Bruce Lee inspired series Warrior is definitely worth watching for those uninitiated.
In a reunion of the martial arts cult classic, The Raid, Taslim is joined in this film by Yayan Ruhian, who looks to play one of the primary antagonists. Another noteworthy member of the cast is Brian Le, an accomplished martial arts performer who first broke out as a member of the viral martial arts stunt team Martial Club, and who has appeared in film and TV series like The Paper Tigers, The Brothers Sun, American Born Chinese and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Based on the cast alone, the film is likely to feature some of the best fight choreography in recent memory. Add the fact that The Furious is directed by Kenji Tanigaki, a legendary fight choreographer known for his work on the Rurouni Kenshin live action films and some of the greatest Hong Kong action films ever, like SPL: Sha Po Lang and Flash Point, and it’s easy to understand the hype.
Check out the trailer below. The Furious releases May 29, 2026.
The Furious Official Synopsis:
After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself. His only ally is Navin (Joe Taslim) – a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
