The Raid: Redemption

Deep in the heart of Jakarta's slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world's most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building's lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city's worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais.

Most critics were bowled over by the film's relentless, expertly choreographed action, treating it as a benchmark for the genre — but a vocal minority pushed back hard, arguing that the carnage overwhelms any meaningful story or character. The split is essentially between those who see the stripped-down premise as elegant efficiency and those who see it as an excuse to skip filmmaking fundamentals.