Gareth Evans is the writer, director, and editor of the 2011 Indonesian action thriller film titled The Raid. Iko Uwais, who previously collaborated with Evans on the 2009 action movie Merantau, is the film’s star. In the movie, an elite group of people, including Rama (played by Uwais), a seasoned team member, are entrusted with breaking into a high-rise building controlled by a vicious drug lord in the Jakarta slums.

After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), The Raid received positive reviews from critics. The name of the film was changed to The Raid: Redemption in the United States as distributor Sony Pictures Classics could not secure the rights to the title; it also allowed Evans to plan out future titles in the series.The US release of the film features a film score composed by Mike Shinoda and Joseph Trapanese. It was released in the United States on DVD and Blu-ray on 14 August 2012. A sequel, The Raid 2, was released in 2014. Both films showcase the traditional Indonesian martial art of pencak silat, with fight choreography led by Uwais and Yayan Ruhian. A third film was considered but Evans decided not to go forward with the project.¨