The Raid 2
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen - a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls - rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn't have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama's opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap. And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender "Yuda." In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco - the son of a prominent gang kingpin - to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.
Working with a limited budget of $4.5M, the film achieved a steady performer with $6.6M in global revenue (+46% profit margin).
11 wins & 17 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Raid 2 (2014) demonstrates strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of Gareth Evans's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes A man is executed in a field by Bejo's men, establishing the brutal criminal underworld Rama will infiltrate. This opening image of death foreshadows the violence and moral corruption that permeates the story.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 18 minutes when Rama agrees to go undercover and is sent to prison under a false identity. He must leave his wife and newborn son behind, sacrificing his family life to protect them from afar. His ordinary world is shattered.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 38 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Rama saves Uco's life during the prison yard riot, fighting off dozens of attackers in the mud. This choice commits him fully to the undercover operation—he's now bound to Uco and the Bangun crime family. There's no going back., moving from reaction to action.
At 75 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Bejo reveals his plan to Uco—he wants to start a war between the families and offers Uco power in exchange for betrayal. The game changes from infiltration to survival as Rama realizes the fragile peace is about to shatter. False defeat: everything Rama built is threatened., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 113 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Uco murders his own father Bangun, fully embracing Bejo's path. Rama's handler Eka is killed. The organization Rama infiltrated collapses into chaos and betrayal. The whiff of death is everywhere—Rama has lost his allies and his mission seems destroyed., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 120 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Rama chooses to end it himself. He will go after Bejo and Uco directly, not as an undercover cop gathering evidence, but as a man seeking justice. He synthesizes his skills with his moral clarity—the system is broken, so he becomes the reckoning., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Raid 2's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Raid 2 against these established plot points, we can identify how Gareth Evans utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Raid 2 within the action genre.
Gareth Evans's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Gareth Evans films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Raid 2 takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Gareth Evans filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Gareth Evans analyses, see The Raid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
A man is executed in a field by Bejo's men, establishing the brutal criminal underworld Rama will infiltrate. This opening image of death foreshadows the violence and moral corruption that permeates the story.
Theme
Bunawar tells Rama that the corruption runs deep—politicians, police, criminals are all connected. "You can't trust anyone" establishes the theme of loyalty, identity, and how deep undercover work corrupts the soul.
Worldbuilding
Rama learns his brother Andi has been killed. Bunawar reveals the scope of corruption in Jakarta's police force and criminal enterprises. The stakes are established: Rama's family is at risk, and the only way to protect them is to go deep undercover.
Disruption
Rama agrees to go undercover and is sent to prison under a false identity. He must leave his wife and newborn son behind, sacrificing his family life to protect them from afar. His ordinary world is shattered.
Resistance
Rama enters prison and must navigate the brutal environment. He identifies Uco, son of crime boss Bangun, as his target. The infamous bathroom fight establishes Rama's skills. He debates his approach—how deep must he go to gain trust?
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Rama saves Uco's life during the prison yard riot, fighting off dozens of attackers in the mud. This choice commits him fully to the undercover operation—he's now bound to Uco and the Bangun crime family. There's no going back.
Mirror World
Rama is released from prison and brought into Bangun's organization. He meets Uco's world—the family dynamics, the respectful old-school crime boss Bangun, and the simmering tension. Rama adopts his new identity as "Yuda" completely.
Premise
Rama works as Uco's enforcer, gaining trust within the organization. He collects debts, witnesses the uneasy truce between Bangun and the Japanese Goto family, and navigates the criminal hierarchy. Meanwhile, Bejo manipulates Uco's ambition.
Midpoint
Bejo reveals his plan to Uco—he wants to start a war between the families and offers Uco power in exchange for betrayal. The game changes from infiltration to survival as Rama realizes the fragile peace is about to shatter. False defeat: everything Rama built is threatened.
Opposition
The gang war ignites. Bejo's assassins—Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man—massacre Goto's men. Uco becomes increasingly unhinged, making moves against his father's wishes. Rama is caught between factions, his cover at risk, his handler Eka compromised.
Collapse
Uco murders his own father Bangun, fully embracing Bejo's path. Rama's handler Eka is killed. The organization Rama infiltrated collapses into chaos and betrayal. The whiff of death is everywhere—Rama has lost his allies and his mission seems destroyed.
Crisis
Rama processes the deaths and betrayals. His undercover work has led to massacre and the very corruption he sought to expose is winning. He must decide: escape and protect his family, or finish what he started regardless of the cost.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Rama chooses to end it himself. He will go after Bejo and Uco directly, not as an undercover cop gathering evidence, but as a man seeking justice. He synthesizes his skills with his moral clarity—the system is broken, so he becomes the reckoning.
Synthesis
The extended finale: Rama fights through Bejo's compound, defeating Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man in brutal confrontations. He reaches the kitchen and battles the Assassin in an iconic knife fight. Finally, he confronts Uco and Bejo, ending them both.
Transformation
Rama stands bloodied and exhausted. When asked who he is, he simply says "No" to joining the criminal world and walks away. Unlike the executed man in the opening, Rama survives—but transformed. He's no longer innocent, carrying the weight of all he's done.