How a failed standalone script became a global benchmark for modern action cinema

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Gareth Evans originally intended his 2014 thriller The Raid 2 to be a separate project titled Berandal. After the massive success of his 2011 debut, he pivoted, weaving the script into a sprawling, high-stakes sequel that redefined the limits of martial arts choreography and cinematic violence on a global scale.

The Raid 2 follows officer Rama as he goes undercover to dismantle a corrupt police network and the criminal syndicates of Jakarta. Evans, a Welsh filmmaker, spent two years struggling to fund his original 2009 script, Berandal, which focused on a man infiltrating a mob family. Following the box office hit of The Raid, Evans significantly rewrote the screenplay, integrating a police procedural subplot to connect the narrative to his previous work. The production, which lasted seven months, relied on a mix of RED Scarlet and Epic cameras to capture the intricate pencak silat fighting style.

The film’s release was met with both critical acclaim and intense controversy. While reviewers praised its technical precision, cinematography, and inventive choreography, the film faced significant pushback for its graphic violence. It was notably banned in Malaysia, and even in the United States, the MPAA required minor cuts to secure an R rating. Despite these hurdles, the film became a critical darling, earning an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and appearing on numerous year-end lists. It also secured a historic win for Indonesian cinema at the Florida Film Critics Circle.

Beyond its critical reception, the film’s financial performance was varied. In Indonesia, it sold over 1.4 million tickets, while its overseas gross reached approximately $6.77 million. The film’s legacy is defined by its influence on the genre; critics have described it as a benchmark for action filmmaking, noting that its tactile, expertly paced brawls offer a refreshing alternative to the bloated scale of modern blockbusters. By blending the intensity of a gangster drama with the precision of a martial arts film, Evans created a work that remains a touchstone for genre aficionados.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Gareth Evans returns to his signature kinetic style in the action thriller Havoc
• Why a high-budget war film about a legendary rescue mission became a commercial failure
• A high-stakes action thriller that faced a real-world diplomatic crisis over its setting
• How Dev Patel turned a gritty action vision into a global cinematic triumph
• A drought-stricken town finds hope in a charismatic con man's impossible promise
• A 1966 spy thriller that divided critics but defined a moody, neo-noir aesthetic.
• Why Francis Ford Coppola's legal drama remains the gold standard for John Grisham adaptations
• A wartime accident forces a Japanese doctor into a painful, silent moral struggle.
• How a joke about a poem became a cult classic horror-comedy film
• Why a critically acclaimed film about American intervention was shelved after September 11
• A 1946 Hollywood epic captured the post-war search for meaning through a spiritual lens.
• Why did a star-studded Western flop in 1995 only to become a cult classic?

More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics