The Night Comes for Us (2018)

Directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Sunny Pang, Abimana Aryasatya, Julie Estelle, Salvita Decorte, Zack Lee, Asha Kenyeri Bermudez, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Hannah al Rashid, Dimas Anggara. [TV-MA]

Practically on a whim, a Triad enforcer (Taslim) goes rogue and slaughters gangland soldiers to protect a young girl (Bermudez); meanwhile, a friend from the old gang (Uwais) is ordered to kill him, sending the pair on a corpse-strewn collision course. A rampaging, hyperkinetic, carnage-filled beast of an action film, as breathlessly creative in its sensory assault techniques as it is in its whirling, thrashing choreography, a ballet of blood-soaked brutality. A sensational showcase for its stylish performers—Taslim and Uwais, of course, who have an unforgettable knock-down-drag-out showdown at the end, but don’t sleep on what the ladies (Estelle, Sastrowardoyo, al Rashid) are capable of, as their three-way clash is potentially its equal. The plot is a simple mechanism (though still unclear at times), characters are presented in minimalist terms, and it’s a bit exhausting (if not desensitizing) at length—not to mention entirely unrealistic (Deadpool couldn’t recover from some of the non-fatal blows received by the main characters)—but there’s no denying the tremendous craftsmanship, skill, and visceral effect. Note: the score below is only—repeat, only—for those with a high tolerance, if not appreciation, for extreme violence in their action movies.

82/100