Actioncinema turns its heroes into icons, perhaps more than any other genre. Just a few decades ago, most of the genre boiled down to similar stories with different leading performers. The martial arts movie niche makes the same transition out of necessity. There are only a handful of people on Earth who can do what Jackie Chan could do. This grants every fan a level of familiarity with most of the heavy hitters. Iko Uwais is one of the biggest names in the genre right now, but he’s still tied to the film that made him a star.
Like any other genre, action cinema often runs in cycles. When a hot new blockbuster finds the right combination of influences and execution to dominate the conversation, every other voice in the medium listens.John Wickcame out adecade ago, but the franchise’s influence colors every other big-name action movie in neon blues, reds, and pinks. Not long before Keanu put on the bulletproof suit and dug up his buried handguns,The Raidbecame the talk of the action community.
Who is Iko Uwais?
Born Uwais Qorny, Iko Uwais stepped into the acting world through unexpected means. His grandfather, H. Achmad Bunawar, was a respected master and teacher of a traditional Indonesian martial art called silat.Director Gareth Evans cameto Uwais' training hall while he was in Indonesia shooting a documentary about silat. Evans discovered Uwais, taking note of his easy charisma and flawless screen presence, and gave him a shot at feature film success. Few partnerships between actors and directors would be as impactful as Evans' bond with Uwais. Uwais first starred inMerantau, the film that also featured the debut of Yayan Ruhian. Together, Evans, Uwais, and Ruhian would forge one of the most important action films of the 2010s.
The impact ofThe Raid: Redemptioncan’t be overstated. It was a realignment only comparable to the 90s shift that followedThe Matrix. Its legacy aside,The Raidis, in many ways, a perfect action film. It’s an unrelenting charge through some of the most effective physical violence ever put to screen. The characters are straightforward yet completely identifiable. The performances fit their place in the story very well. Perhaps more than most action cinema, the action set pieces feel like gripping emotional duels between equals.The Raidspawned asequel, and though it was still absolutely incredible, its expansion lost some of the brutal immediacy of the original film. Uwais may not have another film as impactful asThe Raid, but he has several other excellent ones.
Iko Uwais, Chelsea Islan, Sunny Pang, and Julie Estelle
Release Date
May 21, 2025
The Mo Brothers are Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel. They’re both Indonesian filmmakers who met while studying in Australia and created a few fun films together.Headshotwas their final feature under their fun nickname, but it wasn’t their last time working together. Stamboel is a fascinating creator in his own right, but he’s mostly shifted over to horror movies over the past few years. Tjahjanto might be the most promising martial arts movie director working today.Headshotfollows a familiar structure, casting Uwais as Ishmael, a man who takes that name fromMoby Dickafter waking up without his memories. Ishmaelmust fight his way througharmies of criminal enforcers and assassins to defend the doctor who saved his life.Headshotdelivers more of the absurd violence and physical feats that fans ofThe Raidwould expect.
Joey O’Bryan, Paul Staheli, and Dwayne Smith
Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, and Iko Uwais
June 08, 2025
A lot of martial arts movies exist to promote the skills of a martial artist, but asTriple Threat’s title suggests, it exists to show off three. IkoUwais joins Tony Jaaand Tiger Chen as the three titans of the film. Since the entire premise exists to bring the trio together, it’s far from the best story in any of their careers. Chen and Jaa portray soldiers who join a misleading mission, eventually placing them in the line of fire and stringing them along to free terrorists. Through their actions, an entire village of Indonesian civilians dies horribly, prompting Iko Uwais to swear revenge. The three protagonists shift in and out of competition with each other, allowing them to play heroes and villains. Ultimately,Triple Threatis a pretty good showcase for the wacky fun of the genre.
Timo Tjahjanto
Stars
Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Julie Estelle, Sunny Pang, and Zack Lee
July 09, 2025
The Night Comes For Usis probably Iko Uwais' best movie sinceThe Raid. It’s a jaw-dropping explosion of violence with an in-depth story that feels a bit reminiscent ofThe Raid 2. Uwais doesn’t take the lead role here, handing those duties to Joe Taslim. Taslim portrays a former gang enforcer who turns over a new leaf and tries to escape his life of crime. This film features a lot of the cast and crew behindHeadshot, including writer/director Timo Tjahjanto. Uwais portrays the lead villain, a fellow former gang member who also seeks to eliminate Taslim for his own ambitions. Their personal struggle becomes entwined in amassive struggle between colorful killersand stellar action set pieces. It’s a modern masterpiece of the martial arts genre, and no self-respecting fan can miss it.
Iko Uwais has been all over the industry. He’s been in some of thebiggest Hollywood productions of the pastfew decades and several excellent indie projects. Fans can follow him through a lot of the best martial arts movies in the industry. He may have started withThe Raid, but Uwais is still going strong.
