Panic Fest: Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious pummels audiences with one punch after another

Credit: Lionsgate/ XYZ Films

Panic Fest 2026 just wrapped up at Screenland Armour in KC. The yearly homegrown genre festival is a delightful cavalcade of feature films hitting theaters soon, and some with releases further down the road. Read all of our coverage of these debuts.

For fans of hard-hitting action, the past 15 years have been heaven. The Raid and John Wick led a resurgence in martial arts films taking mainstream cinema by storm. Nearly every year since has seen at least one movie that redefines the genre or creates new stars.

Credit: Lionsgate/ XYZ Films

In 2026, that film is The Furious.

Mute handyman Wang Wei (Miao Xie) works tirelessly to provide for his daughter, Rainy (Enyou Yang). On the last day of her summer vacation, Rainy argues with her father, wanting to stay with him rather than return to Hong Kong for school. After storming off, she’s instantly snatched off the streets by a human trafficking ring, sending Wang into a panic.

Meanwhile, tenacious journalist Navin (Joe Taslim), is searching for his wife, who went missing while investigating the same human trafficking ring that abducted Rainy. When fate has Wang and Navin cross paths, they decide to work together to bring down the traffickers.

As is often the case with martial arts movies, the story really only serves to provide some substance between fight scenes. If you’re looking for something deeper than surface level, you’ve come to the wrong place. If, however, you’ve come to The Furious seeking nonstop bone-crunching action that will leave you wincing and cheering, prepare for ultimate satisfaction.

Xie has been working in action films for years, but The Furious makes the case for him to be the next big international action star. There’s a weight and grace that comes from his stoic face and movements that’s reminiscent of Jet Li and Donnie Yen. Here, he’s supported by possibly the most talented group of people currently working in martial arts action.

Director Kenji Tanigaki was the action choreographer on recent hits Twilight of the Warriors: Walled-In and The Prosecutor. Action choreographer Kensuke Sonomura worked as the choreographer of the Baby Assassins series. Scene stealer Brian Le was the action choreographer for the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once. Lead villain Joey Iwanaga has been in everything from Sono Sion’s Tokyo Vampire Hotel to Crows Explode. Yayan Ruhian is a star lending his distinctive style to The Raid, Raid 2, and John Wick 3. Even the star of Chocolate, JeeJan Yanin, appears in the film’s cold open.

Sonomura takes the realistic-but-energetic fights of Baby Assassins to new levels here. The fights of The Furious combine exquisite hand-to-hand combat with an extensive arsenal of weapons. Hammers (ball-peen and sledge), scissors, wooden pallets, steel-toed boots, bicycles and beyond turn each battle into ballets of destruction. Cinematographer Meteor Cheung combines glorious wide shots and intimate close-ups that showcase the choreography’s intricacy and grandeur. The film’s climactic fight is a stroke of genius that will be celebrated and studied for years to come.

Already gaining buzz from international film festival runs, it’s tempting to crown The Furious as an instant classic, one of the best action films ever made. What it lacks in character development it makes up for in pure carnage, spectacle and excitement. But if you’re an action fan, you probably don’t need any of the other stuff anyway. Just get ready for two hours of chaotic cinematic bliss.