Brutally Entertaining
Summary
The Shadow Strays is arguably the year’s best action movie with graphic violence, regular fight scenes and inventive kills. Aurora Ribero is awesome as 13 and if we do get the teased sequel I am 100% there for it.
Plot: After nearly botching a mission, Codename 13, a prodigal assassin found herself suspended from further duties. The killer teen meets Monji, a young boy who lost his mother to a crime syndicate. When Monji disappeared, 13 turned on setting a path of destruction to find her only friend… even at the cost of defying her mentor and the organization she belongs to, The Shadows.
Review: If you haven’t watched this movie then don’t read anymore as I do go into some minor spoilers ahead.
The Shadow Strays has been one of my most anticipated action movies of this year as it’s from director Timo Tjahjanto who helmed The Night Comes for Us which remains one of the best action movies on Netflix.
When I saw the runtime for this was 2 hours and 20 minutes, I thought it was going to be an overlong slog, but it actually flew by with near non-stop carnage and cruelty. It isn’t dull for a second and is practically the Terrifier of action movies in terms of violence. We get geysers of blood and there is almost a terrible beauty to it all especially the opening 15 minutes which are arguably the best moments of the film.
Reviews have been quite mixed for this movie, and I suppose this isn’t a “fun” or “feelgood” film, but in the action department it delivers in spades. There are fights, shoot-outs, decapitations, swords and explosions so any action junkie will eat this up.
Like The Night Comes for Us, the fights are brutal with nobody getting stabbed or shot just once when they can be utterly decimated instead.
Aurora Ribero is quite the find as 13 who is an assassin that befriends a boy called Monji (poor, poor Monji); corrupt cops kill his mother and 13 ends up going after them when they take Monji hostage. It really doesn’t end well for anyone with a bodycount surely in the triple digits.
13 is maybe my favourite action movie character of the year as she manages to be an efficient killer while also being sympathetic wanting to escape her life as a “Shadow”.
There are a few villains throughout, but Ariel (Andri Mashadi) is the most memorable as he is the son of a corrupt Senator while also being a colossal pervert who wears a black mask when inflicting pain on others. The showdown in the warehouse (which I thought was the finale) is jaw dropping stuff and watching him get his comeuppance is incredibly satisfying.
It’s very much open for a sequel (The Shadow Strays Further?) and I am there for it as I want to see what happens next for 13.
Overall, The Shadow Strays is arguably the year’s best action movie with some incredible action scenes and an awesome lead in Aurora Ribero. The graphic violence may be a bit much for some, but if you’re a fan of The Night Comes for Us then you’re going to love this. Timo Tjahjanto is directing Nobody 2 which is now one of my most anticipated upcoming action movies.