Bullet Points: Silat Warriors: Deed of Death
I recently got the heads up on a Hi-YAH! original film, 2019’s Silat Warriors: Deed of Death. Having subscribed to Hi-YAH! in the past, I have to admit I was always more likely to go with an old school option like a classic Jackie Chan or Alexander Fu Sheng flick than I was to check out some of the newer content in the world of martial arts and Asian action movies and quite frankly, shame on me for that.
Silat Warriors: Deed of Death was a chance for me to expand my horizons and sample one of Hi-YAH!’s original films…
- Unexpected Visitors: Pak Nayan (Namron) and his daughter Fatima (Feiyna Tajudin) are sitting down to enjoy a meal when some toughs who work for a man named Haji Daud are demanding that Mr. Nayan sign over his land to them to cover the gambling debts incurred by Nayan’s youngest son, Mat Arip. Fatima calls BS on the whole thing, saying her brother’s debts have nothing to do with her father and physically stands up to them as she removes them from the premises. That’s about the time Nayan’s older son Ali (Khoharullah Majid) shows up and the “Daud Collection Agency” tell Mr. Nayan they’ll be back in one week to collect. Ali tries to call his younger brother to let him know the trouble he is now causing their father, but there is no answer…
- Black Sheep: Mat Arip (Fad Anuar) can be described as the black sheep of his family… his father would admit that he was spoiled as a child. Mat Arip spends his days and nights hanging out with his best friend Mi Piang (Taiyuddin Bakar) gambling on the local underground fights and street racing with other rebellious youths. Mat Arip actually wins some major money betting on the fights one night, but finds out it isn’t enough to cover the compounding interest. Things get even worse for Mat Arip when he decides to race for pinks and ends up losing his car in a shady race, Mat Arip’s first instinct is to welch on the bet and he swallows his pride and returns to his home where he’ll have to finally face his father.
- Time’s Up: Mat Arip does the right thing the next day and goes to the registration bureau to sign over his car… but timing is everything and we realize it has been one week since Haji Daud’s goons came to collect and they are back and they mean business this time. First they, attack Mat Arip on a bus leading to a great fight scene. Then the goons track down Fatima at the market with Fatima once again not backing down and taking the fight to the goons. And last but not least, the goons confront Ali at the paddy field.
- Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?: When Mat Arip doesn’t come home after his trip to the registration bureau, Ali and Fatima put two and two together and realize if they were confronted, Mat Arip probably was too. So Ali goes out looking for his little brother and he becomes a human wrecking machine in the process. Seriously, they kind of down play Ali’s skills for most of the movie and then BOOMSHAKALAKA Ali turns it on and doesn’t turn it off until the very end. Ali bumps into Mi Piang early on in his search for Mat Arip and together they start visiting all of Mat Arip’s usual hangouts… first the pool hall, then a night club. In both venues, Ali shows off his fighting skills and leaves battered and broken bodies in his wake. At the club Ali finds out that Mat Arip is being held at the factory in town and we now have the locale for Ali’s final showdown with Haji Daud’s collection agency!
Silat Warriors: Deed of Death is a story centered around family pride and when Pak Nayan’s offspring are pushed… they push back! And when they push back, the action is intense and it does not disappoint.
I was impressed by the skills of Fad Anuar, Feiyna Tajudin and Khoharulla Majid and hope to see them in action again down the road. And hopefully you will be impressed by these Bonus Bullet Points…
- AKA: The original title of the movie was Geran, which translates to “Grants” in English.
- What’s In a Name?: One question I had before watching was what exactly is a Silat Warrior!?! Well, according to Wikipedia, Silat is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geo-cultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practiced in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Philippines and Southern Vietnam. Now I know!
- Come As You Are: I am a fan when a band’s merchandise shows up randomly in a movie, like when C. Thomas Howell wore a House of Pain hat in The Sweeper or in the case of Silat Warriors where one of the random street racing enthusiasts is wearing a Nirvana t-shirt.
- Favorite Rant: “You should change your job. Don’t fight anymore. You should work at a shit factory. You smell like shit, you look like shit.” – Mi Piang
- Let’s Get Physical: Well Go USA will be releasing Silat Warriors: Deed of Death on Blu-ray and DVD on July 6th… they will also be releasing it on Digital platforms that day too for those of you who don’t want to get physical.