The First Official Stills For THE RAID Give Me A Headache

Bone crunching? How about head crunching?

While Gareth Huw Evans, Iko Uwais et al still have another month or so of principal photography ahead of them we have just gotten the first eight official stills from the latest film from the creators of Merantau. And whatever they paid that stunt guy, it wasn't enough.

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 rundown 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 6th floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city's worst to survive their mission. Director Gareth Evans (Merantau) and rising martial arts star Iko Uwais reunite in this adrenaline-fueled action film.

We've been saying for a while that this one was going to be darker and grittier than Merantau and these images certainly deliver on that. And I'd say we now know what the equivalent of Merantau's pole jump stunt - i.e. the one where the entire audience winces and says 'Ow' - is going to be. Check out the new gallery of stills below. And we're throwing the introductory promo video prepared for ActionFest again, as well, so you can get a good look at the set.