The Night Comes for Us

A brutal splatter romp, with a story, so to speak, about a hitman who rethinks his priorities at the last minute and doesn't shoot a little girl, then goes on to kills dozens of punks to protect her. It's an impressive fighting game, unspoiled by the traditionally extremely fast-paced Asian action full of incredible stunts. But unlike The Raid 2, which it wants so much to resemble, it doesn't have the epic breadth of plot or the refined visual aesthetic. All that's left is a similar brawler, with a poorer plot but a hell of a style and finally more space for Julie Estelle. (02/05/2019)

The Night Comes for Us dangerously breathes down the neck of its rival in the same genre (Raid 1 and Raid 2). Once again, Iko Uwais appears, but this time he was handed the script and simply told, "Play the villain." I'm not at all used to that, but so be it. The story is somewhat lacking, but then again, The Raid doesn't boast much in that department either, and look at the classic it turned out to be. I could easily see Joe Taslim in a Hollywood blockbuster, as he truly has talent. When it comes to the action scenes, all I can say is FANTASTIC work. Seriously. At moments, my jaw literally dropped (um, I mean, my lower jaw), because choreography like this is rarely seen. And those gore scenes, WOW, simply WOW! No blood was spared, and each kill was truly brutal. The highlight scene for me isn't even the final fight between Taslim and Uwais, but rather the ultimate showdown between Julie Estelle and two female assassins. It has great camera work, the fight itself was processed very quickly but clearly, and the use of colors was outstanding. Not even Tarantino in Kill Bill reached such a high level of quality. The ending was surprising, and while I wouldn't expect a sequel, it's true that with Julie Estelle in the lead, it could probably work. Over time, I might even consider giving it the highest rating, as I see potential for a cult classic here. I give it 84%. (12/23/2018)

For the first time without his brother, Timo Tjahjanto delivers another action gem that will definitely put a smile on your face, and as it works perfectly as a replacement for the cancelled The Raid 3. It's worth noting that Timo made his name with the horror film Macabre (still one of the most brutal exploitation films ever) so the primary fiddle is played by gore and violence, which is abundant here, and I really like his approach to the genre because he is one of the few to push the boundaries, show things that are taboo and shy away from absolutely nothing. That fascinates me because Americans can be quietly envious. Acting wise the film is top notch, it brings together a familiar cast, but it took me a little to get used to Iko Uwais being a villain, but thankfully Joe Taslim has charisma to spare, but surprisingly Julie Estelle shines the most, she immediately needs her own solo outing. The action hardly takes its foot off the gas it's one ultra brutal carnage where everyone is slashing with whatever is at hand, limbs are broken in all sorts of ways and multiple fighting styles are used. Tjahjanto revels in lethal destruction and I go crazy right along with him. The biggest highlight is definitely Julie Estelle versus two lesbians, and I don't think there has been a better female fight, and of course the finale, which takes the best of The Raid 2, and Joe Taslim versus Uwais as a battle of brothers was quite emotional, and of course the choreography can't be faulted. Not just to praise, there are of course some issues. I found the visuals rather average, at times I felt the characters were surviving the impossible and I was a little disappointed that there was no new action discovery. But these are irrelevant little things that didn't spoil the experience for me. Anyone who likes confident action, uncompromising and brutal films will be satisfied. Those who slept through Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme will probably grumble. An action fan can't go below 3* here. I'm looking forward to May the Devil Take You and hope that in the years to come the Mo Brothers will continue to satisfy me, because there aren't that many smart filmmakers out there right now. 90% (10/20/2018)

The Raid gave us top-shelf choreography that didn’t make you feel ashamed and made shake head in disbelief at how anyone could make such a fabulous thing. With The Night Comes for Us, I was thinking exactly the opposite. The fact that there is no story was clear from the beginning and nobody demanded it, the fact that the gore works perfectly as far as blood is concerned is also a huge plus, but the fact that the action is so damn stupid, unbelievable, with fights that are so overly engineered and at times even embarrassing is unforgivable in this genre. A woman who kills people with a ball on a wire and "cuts" their limbs with it, a dude who throws a machete at his enemy's back, spins around and the machete in his hand starts cutting everyone around him, and that's how you they do 1v20. Yes, if you are a moron with a double-digit IQ, that would probably be enough, but for someone who wants at least basic logic, it's not going to work. Ridiculous. And Iko Uwais is on screen for about 20 minutes here:))) (03/13/2024)

A bloody action flick from Indonesia with shooting, stabbing, cutting, chopping, breaking and beating aplenty – all happening as a truly sublime and jaw-dropping choreography of rough fights. The pacey direction is full of little gems and entertains from start to finish. I don’t know what else to say. In short, it’s a must see – an absolute must for The Raid 1 and 2 fans. [Sitges 2018] (10/07/2018)