Midnight Madness’s stellar program of genre films continued with Japanese action stunt choreographer/director Tanigaki Kenji’s The Furious. The film had its world premiere at TIFF 2025 and follows an unlikely duo (Xie Miao, Joe Taslim)  on the hunt to bring down a child trafficking ring. Produced by Bill Kong, most famously known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), I had high expectations for a Midnight premiere as anticipated as this one.

Never before have I seen a film be so embraced by an audience but also hold its own as an incredibly intense and brutal action film. This is the film’s greatest strength, revving up and then never stopping. From the first fight scene, which features an investigative journalist attempting to free a child from the trafficking ring, I knew that something special and unlike anything in the action genre was awaiting me. After the title card, we’re introduced to Miao’s leading performance as a mute handyman simply trying to do right by his daughter. While it never does anything different with the premise, it makes up for it by maintaining an unstoppable momentum the minute his daughter is kidnapped.

Echoing the best of East-Asian action films, every fight sequence is meticulously crafted to perfection. It’s less gun-heavy than something from Gareth Evans, but it maintains the ultra-dynamic camerawork and mind-blowing stunt choreography. Action films are for the action, and The Furious doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. The choreography borders on acrobatics at times, but still feels realistic and grounded thanks to Tanigaki’s impressive direction. The passion for the action exists just as much behind the camera as it does in front. 

Taginaki explores the dark criminal underbelly of “somewhere in Southeast Asia,” as the film states, through various impressive locations and settings that remind me of the various stages in fighting games. From the nightclub sequence that many come to expect from the action genre nowadays to an ice warehouse, each setting is used by the characters in unique ways, making the film even more memorable. 

Image Courtesy of TIFF

The entire cast brings their 100%, feeling like an Avengers of Asian action stars. From Taslim, best known in the States for portraying Sub-Zero in 2021’s Mortal Kombat, to Brian Le, best known for his brief role in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), to various iconic Asian action stars, the cast’s expertise in various martial arts styles is present and highlighted constantly during the film’s runtime. I would not be surprised if this film is the reason some of these actors get pulled into studio films in the West. 

The bare-bones premise of The Furious may deter some, initially feeling too much like Taken (2008). This feeling becomes nonexistent because of the fact that, unlike Taken, this film develops a distinct identity for itself through cinematography and the action sequences. This differs from many of the action films coming out in the West because of how dedicated Taginaki is to making a fun, engaging, violent action film. Did I mention that the action in this is incredible?

Action movies are supposed to be fun to watch; they aren’t supposed to bore you or put you to sleep. As we’ve seen with the shift in action cinema in recent years, Western studios are beginning to realize this and take chances on films that shatter Western expectations of action films. The Furious is perhaps the biggest film of the 2025 Midnight Madness slate, and is just a hell of a lot of fun. 

Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain

Feature Image Courtesy of TIFF