Honestly, if you’ve ever watched a guy take out an entire hallway of machete-wielding goons and thought, "Who is that?" you were probably watching Iko Uwais. The man is a human blur. He moves with a kind of violent grace that makes most Western action stars look like they’re underwater. But lately, there’s been this weird tension in his career. You see him in these massive American blockbusters, but he’s often relegated to "Henchman #3" or a guy who gets two minutes of screen time before being blown up. It’s frustrating.
For anyone tracking movies with Iko Uwais, 2026 is turning out to be a massive pivot point. He's basically stopped waiting for Hollywood to figure out how to use him and started building his own empire.
The Raid and the "Silat" Explosion
It’s impossible to talk about Iko without talking about The Raid: Redemption. Before that movie hit in 2011, most people outside of Southeast Asia hadn’t even heard of Pencak Silat. It’s a traditional Indonesian martial art that’s incredibly fluid but also terrifyingly efficient. Iko was actually a delivery driver for a telecom company when director Gareth Evans discovered him at a silat school. Think about that. One day you’re dropping off packages, the next you’re the face of the most influential action movie of the decade.
The Raid wasn't just a movie; it was a vibe shift.
It did away with the "shaky cam" nonsense that was ruining movies back then. You could actually see the hits. When Iko’s character, Rama, fights through that apartment building, every bone-crunching impact feels real because, well, a lot of it was. Iko and his long-time collaborator Yayan Ruhian (the legendary Mad Dog) spent months choreographing those fights. They weren't just throwing punches; they were telling a story through exhaustion and desperation.
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Why Hollywood Kinda Failed Him
After The Raid 2—which is basically the Godfather Part II of action sequels—Hollywood came calling. Everyone wanted a piece of the guy who could move that fast. But here’s the thing: Hollywood is often really bad at handling international martial arts stars. They did it to Jackie Chan, they did it to Jet Li, and they definitely did it to Iko.
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens: He’s in it for maybe sixty seconds. He plays Razoo Quin-Fee. If you blinked, you missed him.
- Mile 22: He’s actually the lead alongside Mark Wahlberg, but the editing is so frantic you can barely see his skill.
- Expend4bles: He plays the villain, which is cool, but the movie itself felt like it was stuck in 2005.
It felt like Western directors wanted the "brand" of Iko Uwais without actually letting him do what he does best: long, unbroken takes of intricate choreography.
The 2025-2026 Comeback: Taking the Reins
This is where it gets interesting. Iko has shifted gears. Instead of being a gun-for-hire in American B-movies, he’s moved into producing and directing. His new film, Timur, which just hit screens in early 2026, is a huge deal. It’s a military drama inspired by real Indonesian history (specifically Operation Mapenduma).
What makes Timur different is that Iko is the director. He’s calling the shots. He recently admitted in interviews that juggling acting and directing was a "headache," but you can see the passion in the final product. It feels like an Indonesian film made for a global audience, rather than a Hollywood film trying to "act" Indonesian.
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Upcoming Projects to Watch
If you're looking for new movies with Iko Uwais, keep these on your radar for the rest of the year:
- Skyline: Warpath: This is the fourth movie in the Skyline sci-fi franchise. Iko returns as Sua, and he’s teamed up with Scott Adkins. Seeing those two together is basically a dream come true for action nerds. It’s ridiculous, alien-punching fun.
- Road House 2: Rumors are swirling about his role here. After the success of the 2024 remake, bringing in a legitimate silat master to face off against whatever powerhouse they cast next is a smart move.
- MRI: This is a hospital siege thriller he’s co-producing. It’s supposedly a return to the "contained chaos" style of The Raid.
The "Raid 3" Question
Look, we have to address the elephant in the room. Everyone wants The Raid 3. For years, Gareth Evans said he wasn't interested. Then, news broke about a potential third film directed by Patrick Hughes (The Hitman's Bodyguard). Fans are split. Is it really The Raid without Evans?
Maybe. But Iko’s involvement is the only thing that matters. If he’s there to oversee the choreography through his company, Uwais Pictures, there’s a chance it could capture that old magic.
How to Watch His Best Work
If you're just getting into his filmography, don't start with the Hollywood stuff. Start with Merantau. It’s his first movie. It’s a bit more "traditional" and has a lot of heart. Then go straight into the two Raid movies. If you have a stomach for extreme gore, The Night Comes For Us on Netflix is a masterpiece of carnage. Iko plays the antagonist there, and his final fight against Joe Taslim is arguably one of the best ever filmed.
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Seriously. Go watch that fight. It’s fifteen minutes of two guys basically trying to delete each other from existence.
The reality is that Iko Uwais is more than just an actor; he’s a cultural ambassador. By moving into directing and producing with Timur and MRI, he’s ensuring that Indonesian action cinema doesn't just "burn bright and fade away." He’s building the infrastructure for the next generation of fighters.
Next Steps for Action Fans:
If you want to truly appreciate the technical skill involved, stop watching the dubbed versions. Watch The Raid or The Night Comes For Us in the original Indonesian with subtitles. The cadence of the language matches the rhythm of the fights, and you get a much better sense of the intensity Iko brings to the screen. Keep an eye on the 2026 festival circuit for MRI—early word is that it’s the most "Raid-like" thing he’s done in a decade.