Netflix's 'greatest' gangster film streaming now and fans all want same thing

Edinburgh Live

06-05-2025

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
The 2018 action thriller, The Night Comes for Us, has earned a stunning 92 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, showcasing it as an unbridled triumph of raw, gripping storytelling and sheer visceral intensity.
Conceived initially as a script by writer-director Timo Tjahjanto, The Night Comes for Us then journeyed through adaptation as a graphic novel before finally manifesting as the edge-of-your-seat film experience that audiences can't get enough of.
The movie reunites the iconic duo Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais of The Raid: Redemption fame, with The Night Comes for Us also featuring the talents of Julie Estelle, Sunny Pang, Zack Lee, and Shareefa Daanish.
At its core, The Night Comes for Us thrusts viewers into a world of brutal combat, with gruesomely intense fight scenes that are bound to leave an impact thanks to the unparalleled gore. The storyline tracks the tormented life of a former triad enforcer named Ito, played by Joe Taslim, who puts everything on the line to save a child from his own gang, only to become the prime target of not just the crime syndicate, but also a multitude of lethal assassins, including his once close friend Arain, brought to life by Pencak Silat's revered action star - Iko Uwais.
In a chat with Film School Rejects, Joe Taslim accredited the seamless fight choreography to Iko Uwais and his team: "All the credits for choreography, I think, goes to Iko Uwais and his team. They design all the fights, the structures. He would jump in to give his ideas to shape the fights, to freshen up the tone of the movie and stuff. This movie was supposed to happen actually in 2014 and something happened so it has to be in a coma.", reports the Express.
(Image: (Image: Eriekn Juragan/Netflix))
"So we trained actually three, four years ago for the movie. We refreshed the training but we changed a little bit of the choreography."
In 2022, director Timo Tjahjanto expressed that while a sequel to the film "is still not official", he remains optimistic. Tjahjanto had previously confirmed publicly that he had crafted a storyline for the sequel centred on Julie Estelle's character, The Operator.
Robert Liefeld, co-creator of Deadpool and Cable, lavished praise on the film and its director as he took to X (formerly Twitter) to applaud the movie.
He said: "Give Timo Tjahjanto ALL the money for Deadpool 3!!!!Holee mother of God, I have seen the future of action films and it is TIMO TJAHJANTO!! The Indonesian cinema is exerting a significant influence on action films globally. Give these filmmakers major comic book IP's to experiment with. Heck, even a stand alone Cable film under the direction of @Timobros would be groundbreaking."
Despite criticism for the violence and gore depicted on screen, the action-packed film stunned critics universally, with one saying: "This is incredibly violent to the point of disturbing. Nonetheless, the fight scenes are some of the best I've ever seen. But this is a very dark and depressing story."
Another critic's review of the film added: "The Night Comes For Us is a dynamite two hours and for those of us missing the action films of old, it's a breath of fresh air."
(Image: (Image: Eriekn Juragan/Netflix))
Speculation is rife about the film's potential to spawn a franchise, with a critic saying: "Action fans could hardly wish for anything more than what's served up in The Night Comes for Us. The film's hardcore constituency will be wanting more of this from [Timo] Tjahjanto, and a sequel, prequel, or even franchise would not surprise from here."
Praise was also heaped upon the movie by another review, which acclaimed: "An utterly thrilling ride from the first second to the last, The Night Comes For Us is one of the best action movies of recent years."
The film has left audiences on an adrenaline high, with a viewer sharing their excitement: "As a die-hard action fan, I went into this movie with high expectations-and it still managed to blow me away. The action sequences are intense, brutal, and beautifully choreographed. It's a full-on adrenaline rush from start to finish. This one's a must-watch for any action junkie."
Regular re-watches are in order for some, as one audience member admiringly remarked: "I still come back and watch this film from time to time. I love the fight choreography. Even after watching it a few times, I still cringe on a few moments when I see blades go in places they shouldn't. This is right up there with The Raid films for me."
One particular viewer suggested that Western cinema could take note from Indonesia, as they expressed: "Quick, gruesome, stylish which personifies Indonesian movies. Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim were awesome as usual and Hollywood should learn from them."
One viewer was left utterly impressed by the film's spectacular display, exclaiming: "Absolutely fantastic movie. Some of the best action directing and some of the best action choreography I've ever seen. The relationship between Iko and Arian is incredibly tragic and compelling. Exceeded my expectations in every way."