Any fans of Timo Tjahjanto’s The Night Comes For Us (2018) would no doubt have been waiting with bated breath for the release of his latest actioner, The Shadow Strays. He has made films in between, but by judging from the trailers this would be the closest of his recent films to emulate that action classic.
Like The Night Comes For Us, The Shadow Strays debuts on Netflix which is great in getting it to a wider audience but is still somewhat disappointing as this is a film that really deserves to be seen on the big screen. With blood and gore levels more akin to a horror film, you will not see a more violent actioner this year. Or most years for that matter. Because of this, the film has already been banned in a number of countries, with even part of Tjahjanto’s home country of Indonesia banning its release. This is all the more reason to check it out.
Codename 13 (Aurora Ribero) is a teenage member of the Shadow, a highly trained team of Assassins. After messing up on a job in Japan, 13 is suspended by Umbra (Hana Malasan). Sent home, 13 begins to befriend a young neighbor, Monji (Ali Fikry) who has recently lost his mother due to her connections with a local crime syndicate.
After Monji is taken by said syndicate, 13 sets out on a destructive mission to rescue him, which not only puts her against an assortment of gangster, dirty cops and corrupt politicians but puts her on a collision course with Umbra and the other members of the Shadow.
From its opening scene in Japan where Ribero’s 13 takes on a small army of Yakuza, it is clear that Tjahjanto isn’t messing about. Teaming up with regular action choreographer Muhammad Irfan, the first set piece is a perfectly brutal setup that gives the audience an idea of what they are in for. Tjahjanto and Irfan’s handling of the action is like the perfect mash up of Hong Kong action choreography mixed with a clear anime inspiration.
This isn’t just down to settings and the look of the characters in their Ninja like outfits, but down to the actual shooting style Tjahjanto employs during the action scenes. It is hard to put into words what sets the action apart from other action films, but the various action set pieces feature breathtaking camera work, with Tjahjanto unleashing a veritable box of tricks. Even the frame rate utilized during the action isn’t typical of the genre, giving the action an additional characteristic that further sets it apart from other films in the genre.
What is refreshing about the action is that no matter how frenetic the camera work appears, it never obscures the action, with the set pieces all being easy to follow, allowing Irfan’s fantastic action choreography shine through. Irfan has consistently proven himself to be one of the best in the business and it’s just a surprise he hasn’t ended up being head hunted by Hollywood.
There is a stronger focus here on sword fighting than gunplay. I lost count of the number of dismemberment and beheading. But those jonesing for some gun action will still have that itch scratched, with there being some lovingly excessive shootouts in the film.
As brutal as the film gets, and make no mistake this gets increasingly brutal, it is all beautifully captured by ace cinematographer Batara Goempar, with everything having an ultra cool visual sheen, even when characters are being drowned in a barrage of blood and guts. You will have to think back to when you last saw total carnage look so stylish.
There are some small issues which make The Shadow Strays pale in comparison to The Night Comes For Us. The runtime could be classed as excessive, with the main plot being pretty straightforward. Tjahjanto, who also wrote the screenplay, takes elements from countless other popular action films. There is a touch of Luc Besson’s Leon (1994) in how our assassin character is going out of their way to protect a child, with that child helping them retain some of their humanity. Then there’s elements from the likes of Taken (2008) and countless Hong Kong action movies added to the mix. Originality isn’t the film’s strong suit.
Still, it is more in how Tjahjanto combines all these elements into a whole. The characters and setting are so captivating you will never be bored. Tjahjanto also injects some interesting political commentary into his script which raises it above simple action fare. Obviously influenced by the happenings in his home country, it gives proceedings a more contemporary, grabbed from the headlines feel. Some may classify the film as exhaustive, as the constant bombardment of violent action scenes isn’t for the squeamish. Luckily I’m not one of those people with me never being less than entertained.
If I had to compare it to other Tjahjanto films in terms of enjoyment, I would put it next to Headshot (2016) or The Big 4 (2022), both of which are still high quality actioners. Whereas the likes of Headshot and The Night Comes For Us had action stars like Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim to help sell them to audiences, the cast for The Shadow Strays probably aren’t as recognizable. Even so, everyone rises to the challenge.
None of Aurora Ribero’s previous roles would have prepared her for this. She gives an exceptionally dedicated performance, impressing as much with the action as she does with the more dramatic scenes. Clearly she has put the work in regarding the action, throwing herself into the thick of the fight scenes. Ribero was new to this viewer and I was more than surprised to find out that she had no action experience prior to The Shadow Strays. Apparently spending solid 4 months training for her role, her time has paid off dividends with us witnessing the birth of a new action star.
Ribero is capably matched by Hana Malasan, whose character Umbra is the closest 13 has to a mother figure. The inevitable confrontation between the two gives the film an emotional edge with it being clear Umbra is conflicted but at the same time must follow the code of the Shadows. Like Ribero, Malasan more than holds her own in the action department, with Umbra being an especially versatile killer.
The Shadow Strays didn’t disappoint in its display of visceral carnage. As we reach the end of 2024, this is one that would definitely fit into my best action films of the year. Other than some slight issues which are that minuscule they hardly register, The Shadow Strays has everything we look for in action films.
It is no surprise Hollywood has come calling for Timo Tjahjanto, with him making his Hollywood debut with the upcoming Nobody 2. It will be interesting to see if he will be allowed to bring the same levels of bloody carnage to the States that he’s been fortunate to show in his Indonesian films.
Plot: 3.5/5
Acting: 5/5
Action: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5