10 Most Rewatchable Films This Decade (So Far)

An entirely different kind of action movie was released the same year as Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive, trading Refn's precise stunt driving choreography and editing for a constant barrage of kicks and punches. That film was The Raid, the Indonesian martial arts film made on a miniscule budget which went on to propel leading man Iko Uwais to international fame.

Director Gareth Huw Evans wears his passion for classic martial arts films on his sleeve, refusing to clutter The Raid with the excessive editing often seen in American action films and keeping his camera angles wide so as to not cut off or obscure the incredible hand to hand combat sequences.

Which is a very good thing, since the action in The Raid barely lets up for a second once the film begins. It's perhaps fair to describe the film as one big, long fight scene, with a little gunplay here and there for good measure.

Constant action executed with mediocrity is a recipe for boredom, but thanks for the exceptional choreography from Uwais and Yayan Ruhian (who plays Mad Dog, the film's principle henchman) the fighting is impressively diverse, applying a degree of inventiveness in both the martial arts moves and the use of props not seen since Jackie Chan's golden years.