The Raid

In 2009 and 2010 I brought you news on Merantau, a martial arts movie from Gareth Evans, a Welsh filmmaker based in Indonesia.

Hiis next film, The Raid, which wowed critics at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival and 2012 Sundance Festival, hits US cinemas this weekend and is due out in the UK on May 18.

The movie follows a SWAT team who infiltrate a derelict apartment block in the Jakarta slums to take down a notorious crime lord residing in the building.

Stranded with brutal killers and gangsters, the elite squad - led by Iko Uwais's Rama - must fight their way through the city's deadliest criminals in order to survive the mission.

Edgar Wright gave it a shout out on Twitter yesterday. I'm delighted everything seems to be going so well.