The Furious (Chinese: 火遮眼) is a 2025 Hong Kong action film, directed by Kenji Tanigaki. It stars Xie Miao as an ordinary man who, with journalist Navin's (Joe Taslim) help, fights a criminal empire to rescue his kidnapped daughter (Yang Enyou). The cast also features Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga, Yayan Ruhian, and Jeeja Yanin.
| The Furious | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Traditional Chinese | 火遮眼 |
| Jyutping | Fo2 Ze1 Ngaan5 |
| Directed by | Kenji Tanigaki |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Meteor Cheung |
| Edited by | Chris Tonick |
| Music by |
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Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 113 minutes[3] |
| Country | Hong Kong[a] |
| Language |
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| Budget | US$20 million[8] |
| Box office | US$17 million[9][10] |
The Furious had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2025, and was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 12 June 2026. It received critical acclaim.
Plot
editIn a city in Southeast Asia, journalist Matia doggedly investigates unchecked local child trafficking despite her husband Navin requesting her to return home. She finds trafficked children and fights traffickers to help a child. The traffickers' leader, Paklung, and his kukri and bow-wielding lieutenant, Tak, arrive. Tak kills the child and captures Matia for Paklung.
Months later in the same city, mute kung-fu trained handyman Wang Wei is visited by his daughter Rainy, who wishes for him to return with her to their home country. Wei refuses, intending to send Rainy back alone. Rainy runs off in anger, meeting a limping boy who lures Rainy to be kidnapped by traffickers, including muscular henchman Ho and the afro-wearing Donkey Head. Wei finds and fights the traffickers at their truck, throwing away the vehicle keys, but the traffickers manage to hot-wire the truck and escape with Rainy. Wei hurriedly informs the local police, who are unhelpfully bureaucratic. Sergeant Yadong intervenes to assist Wei, but she is overruled by the Police Captain, who is working with Paklung and shuts down the investigation. Yadong discovers that Wei has no government records in their system.
Meanwhile, Navin investigates Matia's disappearance by pretending to purchase children from Song, a high-ranking trafficker, at his fight club. Wei, having seen evidence on the truck tying the traffickers to the club, arrives there as well. Donkey Head recognises Wei and raises the alarm, claiming Wei has a gun. Spooked by the conflict, Song orders Navin killed. Navin and a hammer-wielding Wei fend off their attackers, then battle each other, before realising their common enemy and allying together. Analysing Navin's collected evidence, Wei discovers that the trafficking ring has been using ice delivery trucks to transport their victims. They head to Song's ice factory, where the children were held before Paklung moved them to a location called the "Snake Pit". Wei and Navin violently defeat Song, his henchmen, and a sledgehammer-wielding Ho; it becomes apparent that Ho sees Song as his father. Wei and Navin torture Song via electrocution for information before leaving. Song reveals the Snake Pit and that the traffickers were responsible for Matia's disappearance. After Wei and Navin leave, Song tries to flee to the docks, but Paklung and Tak arrive to execute him. Ho later recovers and finds Song's corpse, riddled with arrows and pinned to a truck.
At the Snake Pit, Rainy attacks a trafficker, starting an escape attempt by the children, though most are recaptured. Wei and Navin arrive, fighting the traffickers and reuniting with Rainy. With Navin live-streaming and publicizing the child trafficking, the public and police are alerted, and a crowd arrives at the Snake Pit. The Police Captain orders the force to keep the public out, but lets the traffickers' reinforcements through, despite Sergeant Yadong's objections. Navin instructs Wei and Rainy to leave safely while he stays to fight, but Rainy persuades Wei to help all of the other trafficked children escape. With Navin and Wei brutally stopping most of the traffickers, the children escape to the top floor. Using sheets as makeshift ropes, the children slowly climb out of the window down to street level, with the limping boy helping the others leave first.
Sergeant Yadong reaches her breaking point and insists that the police engage, but the Police Captain orders her arrest for insubordination. After a tense moment, the remaining police defy his order and enter the building with Yadong, while the public scrambles to help. As she's climbing down, Rainy falls as the sheets rip, but the public catches her in a blanket just in time. Sergeant Yadong shoots a trafficker to save the limping boy. The surviving traffickers are arrested, while the trafficked children are reunited with their families. Yadong tells Navin and Wei she will testify they acted in self-defence, but they must be held overnight at the police station's jail until bail can be processed in the morning. Rainy and the orphaned limping boy also stay with Yadong at the station.
When Paklung's father-in-law attempts to turn Paklung in as a fall guy to the Police Captain, Paklung instead viciously slaughters everyone in the room. In his rage, he accidentally stabs his pregnant wife in the stomach, killing her and their baby.
Paklung and Tak arrive at the police station for revenge. Tak kills most of the policemen, while Paklung defeats Sergeant Yadong. Wei and Navin bend the bars to escape from the jail cell. To protect Rainy and the limping boy, Wei and Navin duel Paklung and Tak. Unexpectedly, Ho arrives and attacks all the duelists, blaming them all for Song's death, and things escalate to a chaotic three-way fight between the five participants. Navin sees Matia's ring on Tak's bracelet, and Tak admits his role in Matia's murder; Navin suffers fatal kukri wounds from Tak but fatally bites Tak's neck. Paklung kills Ho and chases the children; Wei dives to push Paklung and himself out of a window, falling multiple floors onto racks of bicycles. They fight each other ferociously until both are exhausted; Paklung knocks Wei out. Rainy and the limping boy get ready to defend Wei, but Paklung stumbles past them, muttering about seeing his wife and child, then drops dead.
In the aftermath, Wei, Rainy, the limping boy, and the sergeant scatter Navin's ashes into the sea, while also honouring Matia. In a flashback, Wei's name is revealed for the first time, by Wei to Navin while in the police jail. After scattering the ashes, Wei begins to tell Rainy his life story.
Cast
edit![](http://wiki.nitrosworld.org/wiki/File:The_cast_of_"The_Furious"_at_the_2025_Toronto_International_Film_Festival._01.jpg)
- Xie Miao as Wang Wei, a mute tradesman whose daughter is kidnapped[11][12]
- Joe Taslim as Navin, a journalist and Wang Wei's ally[2][12]
- Yang Enyou as Rainy, Wang Wei's daughter[2][13]
- Brian Le as Ho, an "enormous" henchman of the child trafficking syndicate[14]
- Joey Iwanaga as Paklung, a sociopathic son-in-law of a powerful gangster who runs a child trafficking syndicate[15]
- Yayan Ruhian as Tak, a bow-wielding henchman of the child trafficking syndicate[16]
- Jeeja Yanin as Matia, an investigative journalist attempting to uncover the child trafficking syndicate[14]
- Sahajak Boonthanakit as Mr. Song, a cowboy-like middle manager of the child trafficking syndicate[14]
- Mimi Chu as a hair salon owner[17]
- Manatsanun Phanlerdwongsakul as a police sergeant[18]
Production
editThe Furious was announced to be in development in April 2024, which is set to be primarily financed and produced by Hong Kong's Edko Films, while the project would be in English language and filmed in Thailand, with the American XYZ Films co-producing and handling world sales.[2] The production budget was reported to be roughly $20 million.[19] Kenji Tanigaki was announced to helm the project as director, and Mak Tin Shu attached as the writer, while the ensemble cast features a pan-Asian lineup, including China's Xie Miao and Yang Enyou, Indonesia's Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian, and Thailand's Jeeja Yanin.[2] The filming crew mostly comprises Thai locals, while the stunt team is Japanese.[19] The actors began rehearsing the fight scenes a month-and-a-half before filming commenced, with cinematographer Meteor Cheung joining them a couple of weeks later to incorporate the camera work into the choreography.[20] First images were released on 23 August, with Brian Le and Joey Iwanaga revealed as part of the cast.[21] In September, the film was presented at the project market of the Toronto International Film Festival.[22]
Principal photography began in April 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, and spanned across three months.[19] A recurring police station set in the film was constructed and renovated from an old retail unit on Surawong Road, and was used for 18 days of shooting.[19] Originally, the ending fight scene was meant to feature Xie and Taslim fighting against Ruhian and Iwanaga, but Tanigaki liked Le's character and wanted the actor to join as a fifth participant.[20] Filming wrapped in late July.[19] In May 2025, American musician Flying Lotus was reported to be involved in producing the film's soundtrack, while XYZ Films represented the film at the Cannes Film Market.[23]
Release
editThe Furious had its world premiere at the Midnight Madness section of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2025,[24] and screened in competition at the 58th Sitges Film Festival and at the Midnight Passion section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival.[25][11] HK01 initially reported that the film would be released theatrically in Hong Kong within the same year.[26] In October 2025, Lionsgate Films acquired international distribution rights for the film outside Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, planning a day-and-date worldwide release with the aforementioned territories in 2026.[27] The film was also screened at the 2025 Beyond Fest in the United States,[28] the 45th Hawai'i International Film Festival,[29] the 5th Red Sea International Film Festival,[30] and as the closing film of the 26th Boston Underground Film Festival.[31] It was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 12 June 2026.[32] It was originally scheduled to have a nationwide theatrical release in the United States on 29 May 2026,[33] but was later pushed back to 12 June as well.[34]
The film has a Chinese version and an international version, which differ in terms of storyline and action sequences.[35]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 120 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Furious detonates into a relentless, blood-soaked spectacle of breathtakingly inventive martial arts choreography, with director Kenji Tanigaki delivering a brutal, balletic action extravaganza."[36]
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[37] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[38]
Chris Bumbray of JoBlo gave The Furious a 7/10 and compared it to The Raid (2011), describing it as a "kick-ass, crowd-pleasing ride" despite not reaching the latter's hype due to "clunky" dialogue, overdubbing, and technical inadequacies, but overall delivering a "sheer adrenaline and crowd-pleasing ferocity" with "dynamic and unrelentingly brutal" action choreography.[39] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com wrote that while the film suffers from "atrocious" dialogue and "goofy" plotting, it features "well-directed and choreographed" stunt work by Kenji Tanigaki that delivers "the most impressive fight scenes in years".[40] Andrew Webster of The Verge also praised the film as an "absolutely unrelenting and bone-crunching action movie", particularly its "brutal yet balletic" fight scenes and the "inventiveness and playfulness" where "everything can be part of the choreography".[41]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 50th Toronto International Film Festival | People's Choice Award, Midnight Madness | N/a | Runner-up | [42] |
| 58th Sitges Film Festival | Best Feature Film | N/a | Nominated | [25] |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ↑ Patrick, Ian Jeremiah (21 May 2026). "Indonesian action stars Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian set for Malaysia visit ahead of 'The Furious' release". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Frater, Patrick (25 April 2024). "'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' Producer Bill Kong Aims to Reset Martial Arts Genre With 'The Furious,' Directed by Tanigaki Kenji (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ↑ "The Furious [14A]". Alberta Film Classification Office. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
- ↑ Lodge, Guy (11 June 2026). "'The Furious' Review: Dopey Dialogue and Dubbing Don't Matter in an Aptly Titled, Stunningly Choreographed Martial Arts Spectacular". Variety. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- ↑ Multiple sources:
- Willmore, Alison (12 June 2026). "The Furious Is an Action Nerd's Dream". Vulture. Archived from the original on 13 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
It's a Hong Kong production that was shot in Bangkok, directed by Japanese stunt coordinator turned director Kenji Tanigaki, with dialogue that's primarily in English.
- Mack, Andrew (11 June 2026). "THE FURIOUS Review: The Action World Has Been Served Notice". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
On paper The Furious is a Hong Kong action film but it was cast and the performances filmed in a way with the intention of it being an international action film; an action film anyone, anywhere can enjoy.
- Schager, Nick (15 June 2026). "The Summer's Wildest Ride Is This Insane Action Extravaganza". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
Kenji Tanigaki's Hong Kong beat-'em-up is an over-the-top marvel, delivering a jaw-dropping barrage of brutality that's as expertly choreographed as it is nasty.
- Lee, Edmund (9 June 2026). "The Furious movie review: pan-Asian martial arts talents unite for brutal action spectacle". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
But it is, to its target crowd, the best Hong Kong film in a very long time.
- Donato, Matt (12 June 2026). "The Furious Review". IGN. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
Not an ounce of exhilaration is squandered in this Hong Kong import, which dares any other actioner this year to be as battered, berserk, and certifiably badass.
- Oller, Jacob (11 June 2026). "An elemental, balletic beatdown, The Furious is an action junkie's dream". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 14 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
The Furious distills cinema down to sound effects and whirling motion, a pan-Asian approach to Hong Kong action that prioritizes a blistering tempo, unmatched fluidity, and virtuosic movement.
- Willmore, Alison (12 June 2026). "The Furious Is an Action Nerd's Dream". Vulture. Archived from the original on 13 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- ↑ Multiple sources:
- Rahman, Abid (24 March 2026). "Hong Kong Action Film 'The Furious' Releases Brutal First Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- Grobar, Matt (28 October 2025). "Lionsgate Acquires Hong Kong Actioner 'The Furious' From XYZ Films Following TIFF Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- Crump, Andy (15 June 2026). "Inside 'The Furious': How Kenji Tanigaki Built an Action Movie That Hits Different After the Epstein Files". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- Earl, William (12 June 2026). "'The Furious': Inside the Balletic and Brutal Fight Scenes, From Mixing Martial Art Styles to Taking 18 Days to Shoot the Insane Final Showdown". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- Bentz, Adam (12 June 2026). "New R-Rated Action Thriller Loses Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score With 1 Negative Review". Screen Rant. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- Dick, Jeremy (4 June 2026). "The 'Best Straight-Up Martial Arts Flick in Years' With 100% RT Hits Theaters This Month". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- ↑ Multiple sources:
- "The Furious". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "The Furious". Seattle International Film Festival. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "The Furious". Hawaii International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- ↑ Tassi, Paul (12 June 2026). "The Best Action Movie Of 2026 Has A 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score And Is Out Today". Forbes. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Furious (火遮眼) (2026) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Furious". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 10 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- 1 2 Ramachandran, Naman (6 September 2025). "'Crouching Tiger' Producer's Toronto and Busan Martial Arts Actioner 'The Furious' Aims to Revitalize Genre: 'Pushing the Boundaries'". Variety. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- 1 2 Vejvoda, Jim (25 March 2026). "The Furious: Exclusive Trailer for New Martial Arts Thriller Starring Xie Miao and Joe Taslim". IGN. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ Fuge, Jonathan (3 March 2026). "The Most Hyped Action Thriller of the Year Hits US Fest This Month". MovieWeb. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 Willmore, Alison (13 June 2026). "The Furious Is an Action Nerd's Dream". Vulture. Archived from the original on 13 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ↑ Rife, Katie (10 June 2026). "The Furious Is Action-Movie Excess at Its Most Exhilarating". Inverse. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ↑ Evangelista, Chris (10 June 2026). "The Furious Review: The Best Action Movie Of 2026 Will Punch You In The Face". /Film. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ↑ Kwok, Ching-yin (17 June 2026). "【娛事者︱郭靖言】 《火遮眼》 港產動作暴力極致 五人互搏定成經典" (in Chinese). As One Entertainment. Retrieved 17 June 2026 – via Patreon.
- ↑ Anderson, Jeffrey M. (10 June 2026). "The Furious". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Frater, Patrick (23 August 2024). "'The Furious': How Japan's Tanigaki Kenji Elevated a Steaming Bangkok Red Light District Into a Temple of Martial Arts Action (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- 1 2 Earl, William (12 June 2026). "The Furious: Inside the Balletic and Brutal Fight Scenes, from Mixing Martial Art Styles to Taking 18 Days to Shoot the Insane Final Showdown". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ↑ Mack, Andrew (23 August 2024). "THE FURIOUS: Our First Look as Production Wraps on Kenji Tanigaki's Upcoming Action Flick!". Screen Anarchy. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ↑ Frater, Patrick (23 August 2024). "'The Furious': How Japan's Tanigaki Kenji Elevated a Steaming Bangkok Red Light District Into a Temple of Martial Arts Action (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (15 May 2025). "Flying Lotus Boards Tanigaki Kenji and Bill Kong's Asian Action Epic 'The Furious' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ↑ Merican, Sara (27 August 2025). "'The Furious' Clip: Joe Taslim, Miao Xie & Brian Le Lead Pan-Asian Cast In Toronto-Bound Action Epic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- 1 2 León, Por Karla (11 September 2025). "Conoce la programación del Festival de Sitges 2025". The Hollywood Reporter (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ 陳穎思 (31 October 2024). "東京電影節｜洪金寶談振興港產片：香港電影圈而家氣候唔太好". HK01 (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (28 October 2025). "Lionsgate Acquires Hong Kong Actioner 'The Furious' Following TIFF Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (10 September 2025). "Beyond Fest Lineup Includes 'Good Fortune,' 'Dust Bunny,' 'The Furious'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ↑ Shackleton, Liz (18 September 2025). "Hawai'i International Film Festival To Open With 'Rental Family'; Sets 'No Other Choice' As Centerpiece Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melaine (27 October 2025). "Charlie XCX Picture 'Erupcja' & 'The Secret Agent' Set For Red Sea; Tarik Saleh Guest Of Honor At Les Arcs & Stephen Frears Geneva Career Award – Festival Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ↑ Mack, Andrew (3 March 2026). "Boston Underground 2026: Full Lineup Announced, Kenji Tanigaki's THE FURIOUS to Close Fest". ScreenAnarchy. Archived from the original on 8 March 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ 許育民 (14 May 2026). "火遮眼｜《九龍城寨》武指谷垣健治執導 用血肉重拾港產動作巔峰". HK01 (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ London, Rob (24 March 2026). "The Trailer for 2026's Most Violent Revenge Thriller Is Here". Collider. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
- ↑ DiVincenzo, Alex (10 April 2026). "Gory Revenge Thriller 'The Furious' Pushed to June". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ↑ Ra, Ryan (15 June 2026). "谷垣健治《火遮眼》三天累積突破二百萬". HK Film Blog (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Furious". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Furious". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (13 June 2026). "Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' Beaming Up $44M U.S. Opening, 'Obsession' Bests 'Get Out' – Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 13 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ↑ Bumbray, Chris (8 September 2025). "The Furious (TIFF) Review: A banger of a martial arts flick". JoBlo. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ↑ Tallerico, Brian (12 September 2025). "TIFF 2025: Dust Bunny, The Furious, Normal". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ↑ Webster, Andrew (7 September 2025). "Wake Up Dead Man adds a delightfully dark twist to Knives Out". The Verge. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ↑ Hammond, Pete (14 September 2025). "'Hamnet' Wins Oscar-Predictive Toronto Film Festival People's Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 14 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.