# Merantau (2009) Review: Iko Uwais Before The Raid > Merantau is Gareth Evans's Indonesian martial-arts drama about a young silat fighter's rite of passage in Jakarta, the rough first draft of The Raid's brilliance. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/merantau-2009-review/ Published: 2026-07-23 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 3.5/5 ## Verdict Yes, with reservations. Its silat fights are superb and Iko Uwais is a star in the making, but a slow, melodramatic story makes it one for action fans first. ## Is Merantau worth watching? **Yes, with reservations. Merantau is a rough but exciting martial-arts drama whose fight scenes announced both Iko Uwais and the Indonesian art of silat to the world.** The action is fast, physical and inventive, and it is fascinating to watch Gareth Evans develop the style he would perfect in The Raid. The reservation is everything between the fights: a slow first hour, thin characters and a melodramatic plot that feels much longer than it needs to. ## What is Merantau about? [Merantau](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/merantau-2009/) begins in a farming village in the Minangkabau highlands of West Sumatra. Yuda ([Iko Uwais](https://celluloidscore.com/stars/southeast-asia/indonesia/iko-uwais/)), a young man trained in the local style of silat, is preparing for merantau, the traditional rite of passage in which the community's young men leave home to make their way in the world. He heads for Jakarta, full of hope and with little money, and quickly finds that the capital does not match his plans. When he tries to help a young woman and her little brother caught up with a gang of human traffickers, his fighting skills become his only resource. Christine Hakim plays Yuda's mother, and the cast includes Mads Koudal, Yayan Ruhian, Alex Abbad and Laurent Buson. Evans directs this Indonesian-language film, which runs 134 minutes. ## Silat on screen, raw and precise The fights are the reason to watch. Iko Uwais moves with speed, balance and power, and the choreography, which he helped develop, emphasises silat's close-range strikes, sweeps, joint locks and low stances. Evans shoots the action with a clarity that was unusual at the time, using longer takes and wide enough framing that the audience can see the whole exchange rather than a blur of cuts. The set pieces grow steadily in scale, from early scuffles in the city streets to larger, more punishing brawls as the stakes rise. They lack the relentless intensity of The Raid, but the raw energy is already there, as is the pleasure Evans takes in bodies hitting walls, floors and each other. ## A rite of passage with real texture The film's opening act, set in the Minangkabau village, is a welcome surprise. Evans treats the culture with respect, showing training, family life and the meaning of merantau before any fighting begins. Christine Hakim, one of Indonesian cinema's great actresses, brings warmth and gravity to her few scenes as Yuda's mother, and they give the story an emotional anchor. Uwais, in his first film role, is not yet a polished actor, but his earnestness suits Yuda. He plays a decent, sheltered young man thrown into a harsh city, and the film's heart lies in his stubborn refusal to abandon people who need help. ## Where the story drags The film's weaknesses are clear. It takes too long to reach its first real fight, and the Jakarta sections lean on predictable melodrama and stock villains. The European traffickers are cartoonishly evil, and the supporting characters exist mostly to be rescued. Dialogue scenes are stiff, and at 134 minutes the pacing sags between action set pieces. Viewers who come to it after The Raid may be surprised by how much of the running time is spent waiting for the fighting to start. ## Who should watch Merantau? It is essential for martial-arts fans, admirers of The Raid who want to see how Evans and Uwais began, and anyone curious about silat. It contains strong fight violence, some bloody injuries and themes of human trafficking, so it is best for older teenagers and adults. Go in expecting a slow burn, and the action will reward your patience. If Merantau works for you, move on to: - [The Raid](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/the-raid-2011-review/), the lean, relentless follow-up that refined everything Merantau began. - [The Raid 2](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/the-raid-2-2014-review/), bigger and more ambitious, with some of the finest fight scenes ever filmed. - [The Night Comes For Us](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/the-night-comes-for-us-2018-review/), Timo Tjahjanto's ferociously violent Indonesian action film, also featuring Iko Uwais. ## The verdict Merantau is an uneven but important martial-arts film, the moment Iko Uwais, Gareth Evans and silat arrived on the international stage. Its story is slow and familiar, but its fights are thrilling, and for action fans it remains a rewarding look at the beginnings of a modern classic. **Rating: 3.5/5** ## Related title - [Merantau (2009)](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/merantau-2009/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)