The Shadow Strays

From the director of The Night Comes For Us & May the Devil Take You comes a vicious, violent & vengeful action thriller that delivers on the action front with its no-holds-barred approach yet is undermined by its needlessly overlong & half-baked story that actually could've done without a whole subplot. Within its bloated 145 mins runtime, there is a lean n mean 90 mins action film that would've sufficed.

Written & directed by Timo Tjahjanto (Killers & Headshot), The Shadow Strays concerns a young assassin who goes on a killing rampage to save a boy from a crime syndicate. Tjahjanto's direction is lot better than his writing, for the action set pieces & fight choreography are utterly impressive but the dramatic portion is weak, character bits lack depth, storytelling is mediocre, plus it piles up extra baggage for no reason.

The picture would've been thoroughly gripping if it was solely focused on a single tightly-knitted plot instead of branching out in multiple directions and didn't need to be as long as it turned out to be, for it unnecessarily complicated a simple, straightforward premise. Performances are fine when it comes to the physicality of the roles but isn't compelling on the emotional front. And the journey also gets repetitive after a while.

Overall, The Shadow Strays is packed with bloody, intense & gruesome scenes of carnage but there is also a much better film buried beneath all the insipid attempts at creating a sprawling crime drama at which it fails. The story is at its most gripping when it features our protagonist slice, dice, stab & slash her way through endless bodies and yet every time the film decides to take a breather, the interest fizzles out and it all comes to a standstill.

If it weren't for a meandering third act I would have easily given this film 10 stars.

I don't know how this film is rating so poorly. This film is one spectacular scene after another. The choreography unique, brutal and beautiful. Beyond the action we have a run of the mill revenge plot but it works. The character motivations are simple but extremely effective. The Silat is the best I've seen since the Raid films.

As I mentioned before the final act is underwhelming. The pacing in the first two acts was amazing but everything breaks down near the end. Still if you are looking for a straight forward action film look no further.

Basic story. Awesome fights. Lead actress did a fantastic job. Fight choreography fast and furious. A must watch action movie for action lovers. For that budget the movie had rich look, needs to appreciate director and also cinematographer. Occasionally felt some moves are kind of seemed jarred because of camera angles but overall the action moves are fantastic. If you hate lots of bloodshed and gore watching this movie is bit difficult. Lead actress Aurora did justified the role. Along with the action she also able to act though not much needed for this role. Overall this movie doesn't disappoint you.

What The Shadow Strays lacks in coherence, depth and story is made up by the relentless, almost non-stop, action. There's plenty of blood squirting out of bodies, impossible fight scenes wrapped up in a rollercoaster of guns, swords and an occasional explosion.

If you desire intellectual stimulation, look elsewhere. The characters are two-dimensional, singularly focused on... in fact, I don't think we were even introduced to the characters' motivations. I'd go as far to suggest that the dialogue wasn't necessary, subtitles in my case as it is a non-English film.

Anyway, if a hypnotic opera of blood and action will help you relax, then sit back and enjoy.

"The Shadow Strays" is marked by its shocking gore and unrestrained, exaggerated violence, but it lacks depth. It follows the familiar trope of a skilled assassin who, weary of her secretive existence, risks everything to save someone she hardly knows.

Thirteen (Aurora Ribero), a 17-year-old assassin with a compassionate side, takes on a formidable Jakarta crime syndicate after they threaten her young neighbor, Monji (Ali Fikry). Monji's mother, Mirasti (Jesyca Marlein), was a sex worker exploited by the brutal pimp Haga (Agra Piliang), who is linked to the sleazy nightclub owner Ariel (Andri Mashadi) and his politically influential father, Soemitro (Arswendy Bening Swara). After Haga murders Monji's mother, Thirteen forms a bond with him and finds herself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Haga, Ariel, and their associates. A series of gruesome and dramatic showdowns decimate their ranks.

The film drags on with relentless fighting and lacks the substance needed to unify its elements. While the cinematography is commendable, some early fight scenes are poorly executed, featuring adversaries lined up to be taken down one by one. This isn't the kind of movie I'll get excited for.