Directed by Gareth Evans
Staring Iko Uwais, Sisca Jessica and Christine Hakim
Rated MA
Score 6/6

Yuda is a skilled practitioner of Silat – a very deadly Indonesian martial art. It’s now time for him to make the time-honoured pilgrimage from his farming village to the bustling city of Jakarta – a journey known as “Merantau”. A chance encounter in the city leads Yuda to save Astri and her younger brother from a human trafficking ring. The leader of the gang now seeks bloody retribution

For those of you keeping score at home Merantau was released before The Raid and was the second film directed by Gareth Evans.
Unlike most movies, which have a tendency to jump in the deep end with elaborate action sequence Merantau actually has a very unassuming start in a tiny village in West Sumatera. The story is a little bit clichéd but with Evans’ highlighting, the martial art of Silat is not going to have you be thinking ‘I have seen this all before’ or ‘this movie is boring’.
Iko Uwais has a great on-screen presence and look, which is unlike any other action star that I have seen recently.