The major misconception about Sundance is that it's a marathon of no-budget, navel-gazing character dramas tacking heavy issues like breaking up with your girlfriend or Tylenol addiction. The festival certainly sports those types of films (and of varying degrees of quality), but the programming doesn't shy away from diversity. Take The Raid, a balls-to-the-wall action flick that pits a Indonesian SWAT team against a crime syndicate in a confined battle to the death. The only navel-gazing you'll see in this movie is any time our hero Rama (played by the indestructible, acrobatic Iko Uwais), snaps a goon's neck into his chest. And that's one of the less grisly injuries.

The latest film from director Gareth Evans (Merantau) is Die Hard for the martial arts crowd, and my video blogging buddy Katey Rich from CinemaBlend and I both agree it raises the bar for on-screen action. While the in-between crime drama that's sprinkled between fights rarely matches the excitement of the film's many fistacuffs, Uwais delivers an undeniably electric, physically demanding performance. There's no punch this guy can't land, no blade he can't strategically place into an enemies body, no gun he can't unarm and refire—he's a fighting machine, and Evans captures it perfectly. Layered with a kinetic, electronic score by Joseph Trapanese (Daft Punk and M83 collaborator) and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, The Raid is an unfiltered, cinematic adrenaline rush.

Check out our latest video report from the underbelly of Sundance, with a few notes on life at the festival and hints at my upcoming review of Rashida Jones' Celeste and Jesse Forever!

You can contact Matt Patches directly on Twitter @misterpatches and remember to follow @Hollywood_com!