Watch Merantau

Merantau is a martial arts film from Indonesia, featuring direction and scripting from Gareth Evans, and Iko Uwais as the leading star. Iko Uwais plays Yuda, a Minangkabau martial artist disciplined in silat, who travels the world to refine his martial arts skills. Yuda plans, like teaching Jakartan schoolchildren, are soon compromised by an array of hardships including sudden homelessness and earning the ire of a local group of thugs led by a crime boss named Ratger. After following a thief who stole his wallet, Yuda stumbles upon a woman, Astri, at the hands of one of Ratger's men, Johnny. Yuda is initially rebuffed for having cost Astri her job; however he soon earns her favor after defending her in a second encounter with Ratger's men. After befriending Astri, and her brother Adit, Yuda soon realizes how far Ratger's reach extends. Yuda then seeks out Ratger, and his lieutenant Luc, to clean the streets of such filth. The film takes its name from a tradition of Indonesia's Minangkabau populace from West Sumatra. In it, the Minangkabau are encouraged to travel outside of the West Sumatran Highlands in their teens so that they can grow and mature as individuals.