Review of “Headshot”

* * C

This Indonesian film (much of it in Indonesian, with English subtitles) is an incredibly violent and gory crime drama. It begins with a ruthless crime lord, Lee (Sunny Pang), escaping from prison. The story switches to the protagonist, Ishmael (Iko Uwais), who washes up on a beach with a near fatal head injury, and the young doctor, Ailin (Chelsea Islan), who nurses him back to health. When Lee begins to search for Ishmael, mayhem ensues.

The film is incredibly violent. The romance between Ishmael and Ailin is the only let up from the near constant fighting. The fights are gritty. The choreography is unobtrusive, the sound effects not overstated. The amount of punishment Ishmael takes over the course of the film is a little unbelievable, considering that he has just woken from a two month coma, but there is a reasonable explanation for his abilities.

This was a good watch, but had little to make it memorable. If you like martial arts and don’t mind blood and gore and reading a few subtitles, you’ll probably enjoy it as a guilty pleasure.

#ikouwais #indonesia #sunnypang #chelseaislan #moviereview #headshot