In the early 2010s, two breakout action films effectively reshaped modern action cinema seemingly overnight.
The more recognized of the two is 2014’s John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves in what became his major comeback film. Behind the camera was longtime stunt choreographer and first time feature director Chad Stahelski, who also served as Reeves stunt double for The Matrix, and Stahelski’s 87Eleven partner David Leitch serving as a principle producer.
John Wick’s success saw Stahelski, Leitch, and several members of the 87Eleven Entertainment team to spread out in various director and producer roles.
Leitch, himself, would go on to direct multiple films including Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Bullet Train. He eventually left 87Eleven and founded 87North Productions where he continued serving as a key producer on action films such as Violent Night and Nobody.
Stahelski’s efforts centered primarily on building out the John Wick universe even further. He focused all his directing efforts toward the three subsequent sequels while overseeing various John Wick-spinoffs like Ballerina, The Continental, and the upcoming Caine-spinoff directed by and starring Donnie Yen.
As for Stahelski’s next film, he is finally stepping outside the John Wick universe with the upcoming Highlander remake starring Henry Cavill.
The impact of John Wick has never been lost on anyone.
But what sometimes has been is the first film to cause a massive shockwave through action films in the 2010s, and that was 2011’s The Raid: Redemption.
Directed by the Welsh-native Gareth Evans and starring a cast of experienced martial arts practitioners and former-fighters including Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, and many others from Indonesia. While they brought a variety of styles ranging from judo to Wing Chun and various others, the common thread was all the principle actors were pencak silat practitioners.
The Raid quickly became something of a sleeper hit within the action movie-sphere, resulting in the 2014 sequel The Raid 2. Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim, among other cast members, quickly found themselves in demand across Hollywood. Taslim would land major roles in 2013’s Fast and Furious 6 and 2021’s Mortal Kombat while Uwais split his time between the Indonesian and Hollywood action scenes.
A few veterans of The Raid even appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum in a nice crossover nod to the two franchises.
Evans continued to spread his wings as a director and producer, as well, most notably creating the hit action TV series Gangs of London and directing the Tom Hardy-led film Havoc released on Netflix. His next project, a remake of the 1967 Takashi Nomura film A Colt Is My Passport, is reportedly in post-production but still does not have a release date listed as of March 26, 2026.
And while 2011’s The Raid didn’t have the kind of success John Wick did, it was obvious the film made an impact on the action scene. 2012’s Dredd and 2024’s Monkey Man are just two of the many films that took clear inspiration from The Raid.
The impact of The Raid could be seen within the industry and more dedicated action film fans, but was not able to get the kind of wider attention the Keanu Reeves-led John Wick franchise could get.
It is because of this that it feels like the impact of The Raid has gone unnoticed by a sizeable portion of movie-goers and action fans. It seemed as if the only ones familiar with the film was either already followed action films out of the larger Southeast Asian region or stumbled across clips of the film on YouTube.
While it didn’t prevent The Raid from having as wide an impact as it did, the first trailer for The Furious is a reminder that more attention should be given to the contributions Indonesia has made on modern action filmmaking. Taslim is slated to co-lead with Chinese action star Mo Tse in the English-language Hong Kong production that has already drawn direct comparisons to The Raid for its fast-paced, violent, and bloody action.
The Furious premiered at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and was met with largely positive reviews, with praise for its action and fight choreography and overall production. That said, plenty of criticism was levied at the dubbing and, in turn, the dialogue along with some of the overall scripting.
The Furious is scheduled to have its wider theatrical release on May 29, 2026.
When it does it theaters, it may be worth going to a nearby theater playing The Furious. It is a prime chance to show the proper appreciation for a scene that, at times, doesn’t always get the amount of thanks it likely should for how much of an impact it has had.
Minimum Wage Nerd 