If you haven’t heard about the critically acclaimed indie film “The Raid,” prepare to have your skull crushed against a wall a few dozen times. Sony Pictures Classics recently announced that it’s bringing the Indonesian martial arts/action film to the US on March 23, with a new subtitle (“The Raid: Redemption”) and soundtrack.
The movie, directed by newcomer Gareth Evans, focuses on Rama and a squad of 19 other elite special-forces officers who have to make their way through a rundown apartment complex full of murderers, rapist, and thugs in order to apprehend Jakarta’s most powerful drug lord who, naturally, is sitting on the highest floor.
“Rama, a member of a special forces team, arrives at a rundown apartment block with a mission to remove its owner, a notorious drug lord. The building has become a sanctuary to killers, gangs, rapists and thieves seeking accommodation in the one place they know they cannot be touched by the police. When a spotter blows their cover, Rama and his team must fight their way through every floor and every room not just to complete their mission but to survive their bloody ordeal.”
The simple premise masks a film filled with intense action sequences reminiscent of classic action films like “Hard Boiled” and “Ong Bak,” both of which have achieved cult status here in the United States. Furthermore, Sony Pictures has also tasked Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda to redo the films soundtrack in order to help the film appeal more to a western audience.
“The Raid” was already a hit with 2011 Toronto Film Festival attendees, where the film won the Cadillac People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. Sony Pictures soon after acquired the film’s North American distribution rights after seeing clips at the Cannes Film Festival and now “The Raid” is set to release later this month.
Hit the jump to see the skull-cracking trailer for yourself.
[Via Slashfilm]
Discuss:
Do you think “The Raid: Redemption” will find success in the West?
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