Brutally Violent And Emotionally Harrowing: ‘The Shadow Strays’ Reviewed

Her eagerness to save a young boy drives a trained assassin codenamed 13 (Aurora Ribero) to fight anyone who stands in her way, including her mentor (Hana Malasan) and her organization, The Shadow.

2023 was an amazing year for what I called “New Wave Action” films. I never could have anticipated that I’d witness another groundbreaking action film so soon. The Shadow Strays is the latest film by director Timo Tjahjanto, known for his gritty martial arts films Headshot and The Night Comes For Us. With this most recent offering, Tjahjanto synthesizes the best elements from his previous work while also one-upping The Raid films.

The opening sequence with spec-ops ninjas taking out a Japanese Yakuza clan is more impressive than any other ninja movie put to screen — and that’s only the beginning! What follows is a story of trauma and pathos told within a brilliantly built world of  Shadow assassins and bizarre criminals.

Tjahjanto knows when to lean into grounded action and emotion and when to stylize scenes into more “comic book” territory. Gangsters wear masks like slasher villains, a telephone booth dispenses guns, and ninjas use night vision goggles. It’s these pulpy flourishes that make the well-worn world of assassins and gangsters fresh and exciting. It’s a world that warrants further exploration and it appears that Tjahjanto has plans for future installments.

What really makes The Shadow Strays a cut above other action films is the genuine emotion between our heroine and the boy she protects. Their relationship is the beating heart of the film and I was moved to tears when the credits rolled. The film is a brutally violent and emotionally harrowing masterpiece of New Wave action films.

The Shadow Strays is now streaming on Netflix.