‘The Furious’ Is the English-Language Hong Kong Action Film You Didn’t Know You Were Waiting For

If you’ve been craving a no-holds-barred martial arts spectacle that actually delivers on its promise, ‘The Furious’ has arrived at exactly the right time. The film is an English-language Hong Kong action production directed by Kenji Tanigaki and written by Mak Tin-shu, following an ordinary tradesman named Wei whose daughter is kidnapped, forcing him into an unlikely alliance with a journalist named Navin as they battle a criminal empire.

The answer to the question on every action fan’s lips is a resounding yes. ‘The Furious’ is primarily an English-language film, though it also features Chinese and Thai dialogue with subtitles, running at a tight 114 minutes. It is a genuinely international production, and that pan-Asian ambition is arguably its greatest strength.

An English-Language Martial Arts Spectacle Built for Global Audiences

The production budget for ‘The Furious’ was reported to be roughly $20 million, with Edko Films financing and the film shot primarily in Thailand. That scope is evident in every frame, and the decision to anchor the film in English was clearly a deliberate move to capture crossover appeal.

Lionsgate scooped up international distribution rights following a noisy fall festival run that saw the film come second in the People’s Choice voting in Toronto’s Midnight Madness section. For a film of this genre, that kind of festival reception is enormous validation.

Bill Kong, whose producing credits include ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ ‘Hero,’ and ‘House of Flying Daggers,’ teamed with XYZ Films early in development with the stated goal of crafting the definitive martial arts action film of the past decade. That is a bold claim, but critics who have seen the finished product are not laughing it off.

Despite the serious material and brutal action, ‘The Furious’ is separated from many of its peers by its playful sense of humor, with the line between violence and slapstick described as wonderfully thin, recalling the wild tone of Category III films from Hong Kong cinema’s heyday.

The Cast That Makes ‘The Furious’ Unmissable

Leading the cast is Joe Taslim, who stars as Navin, a determined journalist investigating a dangerous criminal network while grappling with his own personal tragedy. Taslim is best known for his standout performances in ‘The Raid,’ ‘Mortal Kombat,’ and ‘Star Trek Beyond,’ making him a natural fit for the action-heavy role.

Xie Miao anchors the film with a powerful, largely wordless performance as a father pushed to his absolute limits, with his portrayal of quiet rage and relentless determination giving the action real emotional weight. Their dynamic together is one of the film’s most talked-about elements.

The ensemble also includes martial arts veterans Yayan Ruhian, Jeeja Yanin, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga, and Sahajak Boonthanakit, creating one of the most impressive action-film lineups in recent years. When you assemble a roster with this kind of combined screen fighting pedigree, expectations are inevitably sky-high.

As a truly international production, ‘The Furious’ showcases martial arts performers from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and the United States, with director Tanigaki, fight choreographer Kensuke Sonomura, and cinematographer Meteor Cheung appearing to have gone beyond collaboration and into genuine mind-melding.

Kenji Tanigaki and the Return of Hong Kong Action Cinema

‘The Furious’ is directed by Japanese action choreographer-turned-director Kenji Tanigaki, who previously designed action sequences in ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’ and ‘Hidden Man.’ His eye for combat geometry and spatial storytelling is on full display throughout.

Critics have described ‘The Furious’ as fast-paced, intense, and stunning to behold, jam-packed with fight choreography that is hard to describe in words, calling it one of the best fight movies of the 21st century. That is precisely the kind of verdict that sends action fans sprinting to the multiplex.

One reviewer noted that while ‘The Furious’ lacks the slick polish of the best recent South Korean, Chinese, or Indonesian action blockbusters, it more than makes up for it in sheer adrenaline and crowd-pleasing ferocity, calling it the kind of old-school action film they used to churn out regularly during the heyday of Hong Kong action cinema.

A DVD and Blu-ray release is expected in August, giving fans who miss the theatrical run a chance to catch up at home. But if the critical consensus means anything, this is a film that deserves to be seen loud and large.

When and Where to Watch ‘The Furious’

‘The Furious’ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025, before receiving its theatrical release in Hong Kong on June 12, 2026. The festival debut generated the kind of buzz that money simply cannot manufacture.

Tickets to see ‘The Furious’ in the United States are currently available through Fandango, Atom Tickets, Cinemark, Cinepolis Cinemas, Harkins Theatres, and Marcus Theatres. Wide availability means there is very little excuse not to make the trip.

For those wondering about post-credits surprises, there is no end credits scene in ‘The Furious,’ so audiences can feel free to leave the theater when the film ends without missing anything additional. The film is confident enough in its own two hours not to need a teaser hook.

The film was an official selection of both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival, cementing its reputation as a prestige action title rather than a throwaway genre exercise.

With Hong Kong action cinema making such a ferocious statement with this release, the real question now is whether ‘The Furious’ will earn the cult classic status it is clearly gunning for, and we would love to hear whether you think this is the kind of film that finally restores Hong Kong martial arts cinema to the global conversation it once dominated.