- Release Date: 17/10/2024
- Platform: Netflix
- Runtime: 144 minutes
- Cast: Aurora Ribero, Hana Malasan, Kristo Immanuel, Ali Fikry
- Director: Timo Tjahjanto
The Shadow Strays Perfects the “John Wick” Formula with a Powerful Fusion of Heartfelt Drama and Relentless Action
A 17-year-old assassin, 13 (Aurora Ribero), accidentally kills a geisha during one of her missions and, for a moment, reveals her humane side, which results in her getting shot and nearly dying. She is saved by her mentor and instructor, Umbra (Hana Malasan), who sends her on a long mental reevaluation and reassignment sabbatical. During this period, she forms an unlikely bond with a kid whose mother was recently murdered by a human trafficker. The trafficker is friends with a powerful cop and a politician’s son, who together run Jakarta.
After a night where 13 and the kid, Monji (Ali Fikry), visit his mother’s grave and find solace in each other’s company, Monji suddenly goes missing. Desperate to locate him, 13 goes all out and launches a full-scale attack on the Human trafficker’s club. Meanwhile, her instructor Umbra is on another mission to neutralize some of the assassins from her own organization who have rebelled and are planning a full-scale attack on the group. Umbra is forced to aid in the killing of a pregnant assassin whom she had mentored and cared for in the past. As she is forced to pull off this disgusting act, something snaps in her. Umbra’s next mission turns out to be neutralizing 13, who has raised hell in her search for Monji and apparently killed a lot of people she shouldn’t have.
Indonesians make some of the very best action films, and The Shadow Strays is, in many ways, the perfecting of the John Wick formula by stripping away the unnecessary and adding much-needed depth and character to both the protagonists and antagonists. The very first action sequence of the film tells us everything we need to know about the organization. Through one brief exchange between Umbra and her soon-to-be victim, we quickly understand how the group of assassins operates.
The next brief interaction between Umbra and 13 during their transportation sets up both characters, their longing for love and family, and their internal conflicts between who they were and what they aspired to be. It also establishes the bond between the two characters, while simultaneously highlighting that Umbra prioritized her work as a shadow above all else.
As the film then shifts its focus to 13 and what she was doing during her sabbatical, we understand how frustrated she was by not being part of any new mission and how she was haunted by her past. This also explains why she formed such a strong connection with Monji so easily and why saving him meant the world to her. It becomes clear that 13 has assigned herself a mission: to save Monji. As is the case with the shadows, once a mission is assigned, they go to any lengths to fulfil it—and 13 does exactly that.
The antagonists here aren’t just people who are there to look tough and get killed when the time comes. The three primary antagonists have practically grown up together, sharing in the spoils of the debauchery and criminal activities they each indulge in. So, when 13 goes after one of them, the other two are automatically triggered and are forced to come after her with full force.
The connection between these villains and the kid, Monji, is set up wonderfully, feeling believable and realistic enough not to raise any questions that would spoil the fun of the narrative. How Monji ended up in their hands is also established and built up well, and when it is revealed in a horrifying, tragic scene, it has the desired impact. The antagonists are introduced and set up in one brief exposition scene, through a team member who later plays an important role in the film’s climax. With all this in place, the film sets up what we came for in the first place: the action.
The action in this film is some of the best that I’ve seen in recent times. While many swear by the action and violence in John Wick, I strongly believe that films like The Raid: Redemption, The Raid 2, and The Night Comes for Us have far surpassed what we’ve seen in the John Wick franchise. It’s only the exceptional charm of people like Keanu Reeves, and Donnie Yen, and some terrific action choreography and execution that have led people to believe that the action in the John Wick films is superior to the Indonesian ones I’ve just mentioned.
The Shadow Strays combines large-scale mayhem involving firearms, grenades, and heavy automatic weaponry with tried-and-tested hand-to-hand combat and swordplay. It presents the kind of action you wouldn’t mind watching again and again, whether on the big screen or at home. Each action sequence unfolds in different settings, and the nature of the environment is woven into the action, either aiding or disrupting the flow, making it feel more organic and real. There are action sequences where this environment is used to amplify the beauty of the frames in bizarre but exceptional ways. This also showcases the brilliance of the cinematographer and the editing team, who not only find innovative ways to capture the action and keep it visceral but also ensure that whether a fight is unfolding in daylight or at night, the viewer has the best angles and perspectives, even when the lighting is kept natural and realistic.
The action always stems from heightened emotions and the necessity of the characters to give in to an outburst. Some may question the need to annihilate entire gangs when the assassins could easily kill the leaders and be done with it. This aspect of the violence is also addressed through a brief dialogue between an assassin and her about to be victim. We also see during major fights how 13 tries to escape a situation but is forced to stay and fight by the henchmen, who then meet creative ends at her hands.
The final action sequence between 13 and her instructor and mentor, Umbra, proves to be the most brutal and emotionally draining. You don’t know who will survive, as the film has surprised you throughout with its willingness to kill off major characters. You’re never entirely sure if 13 will survive, as she is consistently outmatched by Umbra, who is a far superior fighter. This feeling—that you might witness the protagonist’s death—fills the audience with unbearable tension and catapults the already sensational action to epic heights.
The decision to cast Aurora Ribero and Hana Malasan as assassins pays off heavily. I cannot think of anyone else playing these characters other than them. They not only physically transform into characters willing to fight to the death to achieve their objectives, but they also bring out the duality of their roles with remarkable depth and dramatic presentation. These are women who are just as capable of embodying the physicality of the characters—making the audience feel their strength and determination—as they are at conveying their inner turmoil, giving us a glimpse of the demons, they are dealing with. They convincingly express the simmering anger and the willingness to unleash it as the story progresses.
This rounds off the characters played by Aurora Ribero and Hana Malasan and infuses the narrative with the charm and swagger necessary to further elevate both the characters and the screenplay. Aurora Ribero even has some exceptionally tender and warm moments with Monji, where she shows a side of her character that reflects the protective and nurturing nature of women worldwide. When Monji is in harm’s way, 13 reveals that brutal and unforgiving side of womanhood that would go to any length, even kill, to protect her child. All of this transitions beautifully on screen, and it’s a result of how well the actors portray their characters and the seriousness and authenticity that they bring to their performances.
The Shadow Strays adds much-needed drama and a human element to an exceptionally well-done action film—something most films of this genre often miss. The story is simple enough to set everything aside and enjoy the action, but the characters are infused with genuine emotions, stakes, and conflicts, adding necessary weight to the violence and action that they unleash. This gives the film greater longevity than many of its contemporaries and enhances its rewatch value.
The only thing that upset me about the film was the final 5-10 minutes, where an element is introduced that they could have completely ignored. It involves a character that felt over the top and totally out of place in an otherwise deadly serious and grounded film. That said, it still doesn’t take away much from the overall experience, and if action is what you’re looking for, you don’t need to look any further than this film. It’s a pity that this didn’t release in theatres, as it would have been overwhelmingly enjoyable to watch something like this unfold on the big screen.
Rating: 4/5 (4 out of 5 Stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position.
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