TIFF 2025: ‘The Furious’ Holds Nothing Back

The Furious is definitely one for action fans to add to their lists. Director Kenji Tanigaki returns with his latest directorial action venture, The Furious, and his keen eye for exhilarating and tense action is on full display here. Filled to the brim with a veteran cast of martial artists and upcoming stars to keep an eye out for, The Furious runs full steam ahead and never slows down, delivering frenetic blows and violence that will leave audiences breathless.

The Furious takes place in an unnamed Southeast Asian country, where we meet our mute protagonist, Wang Wei (Xie Miao), with his daughter, Rainy (Yang Enyou). Wang Wei, who is very much a devoted father, wants Rainy to learn how to fight so that one day she’ll be able to protect herself when he’s not around. Unfortunately, Rainy finds herself the target of some human traffickers, sparking a deep protective fury in the man. Without any thought, and after realizing the police are pretty much useless, he sets out to find her himself.

At the same time, investigative journalist Navin (Joe Taslim) is trying to find his wife, Matia (Jeeja Yanin), who goes missing after an epic starter fight sequence at the beginning of the film. Building on the research she has done, he makes incredible headway. In the process, his path intersects with Wang Wei’s, and upon realizing they share a similar mission, the two team up to find their missing loved ones. Whoever gets in their way? Well, they’re going to have to deal with some violence.

Wang Wei is a man on a mission, and you instantly feel like he can singlehandedly take down everyone.

To say that The Furious holds nothing back is almost an understatement. The speed and precision of the fight choreography are unbeatable, and every blow that connects is brutally intense. From chaotic club sequences to one-on-one battles to the clever usage of vehicles, each action sequence delivers something daring and exciting. And as The Furious barrels toward its natural end, the playing field evens out between our heroes and villains, making it unclear who will actually come out on top.

As the initial purveyor of violence, Xie Miao’s Wang Wei is almost an unstoppable force. He doesn’t have to say anything. His face speaks volumes as he wields his body with finely tuned precision. And when his daughter’s life is threatened? All bets are off.

He holds nothing back and moves in for the kill. While his background isn’t thoroughly explored, it doesn’t need to be. Due to Xie Miao’s skill and fight choreography, the audience can piece together the story before any exposition kicks in.

Less of a mystery is Joe Taslim’s Navin. For the most part, Navin is an open book, except when he’s trying to extract information from seedy types. Despite being an investigative journalist, he makes a faux pas early on in the film that belies his hubris—a character flaw that reveals how out of his depth he is.

Even as he’s pulled into the violence himself, there’s a sense in the execution of the choreography that this is not his world. Yes, he can fight, but Navin isn’t a trained killer. He’s more of an everyman than Wang Wei, and it shows more and more in his fighting as The Furious progresses.

The Furious spares nothing in its violence, and everyone is a target, heightening the stakes.

Reuniting with her Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance costar, Xie Miao, Yang Enyou plays the role of Rainy, Wang Wei’s daughter. She gets in on the action in surprising ways, which highlight Rainy’s vulnerability and, equally, her tenacity. How Tanigaki and the team craft her stunts ground The Furious further into reality, while also showing how truly evil the villains are. The real world is not kind to people, especially kids, and The Furious makes zero exceptions.

The villains Wang Wei and Navin have to fight through and towards are almost superhuman and teeter on the edge of being one-dimensional on the page. It’s through sheer charisma and skill that what is born onscreen makes an impact, not just Brian Le’s Ho, who almost steals the show with his brute strength and speed. Yayan Ruhian‘s Tak and Joey Iwanaga‘s Paklong have more limited screen time, but when they are on screen, they deliver big boss battle energy. Even more, Paklong is the delusional villain you’ll love to hate.

Of course, there are some moments of cheese and awkward, stilted line delivery throughout The Furious, but it isn’t so noticeable that you’re completely taken out. However, one key decision made in the film’s ending layers on the cheese a little too thick, taking what should be an emotional moment and pushing it into arguably cringe territory. 

Even still, The Furious delivers everything it promises when it comes to high-octane, balls-to-the-wall action. The gritty, earthy visual palette of the film and its subject matter keep things grounded, but ultimately, it’s not just the violence that will keep people engaged.

Through their performances, chemistry, and heart onscreen, you can’t help but hope Wang Wei, Rainy, and Navin come out on top. They give us someone to easily root for, delivering worthy stakes that dare you to look away.

The Furious had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.