The Shadow Strays

The Shadow Strays is a 2024 Indonesian action crime thriller film written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto. It was released by Netflix on 17 October 2024. The film stars Aurora Ribero as Codename 13, a 17-year-old assassin who is suspended after a botched mission in Japan. During this time, she crosses paths with 11-year-old Monji, who has just lost his mother.
The film had its world premiere on 10 September 2024 at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Codename 13, a 17-year-old trained assassin known as a Shadow, is part of an international organization of assassins. On a mission in Japan, she assassinates her primary target, the leader of a criminal clan. However, 13 is dazed after accidentally killing a bystander and is incapacitated. Umbra, 13's mentor, eliminates the rest of the clan and rescues her. Umbra reprimands 13 for her lapse in focus and puts 13 under suspension, for a psych retraining, in Jakarta. Umbra herself is tasked to undertake a mission in Cambodia by the Handler.
During suspension, 13 has recurring nightmares of her mother's death and routinely contacts her handler who instructs her to consume her medication and wait. 13 encounters 11-year-old Monji and his mother, Asti, who live next to 13's safehouse. Asti works as an escort for Haga, a human trafficker and owner of the club Moonrose. One night, 13 witnesses Haga and his men assaulting Monji and his mother but does not intervene. The following morning, Monji's mother is found dead due to an overdose and Monji is warned by police detective Prasetyo.
Receiving no instructions for over two weeks, 13 becomes restless and stops taking the medication prescribed to her. She later befriends Monji who wishes to avenge his mother. 13 takes Monji to Asti's grave to comfort him. The following day, 13 discovers that Monji has gone missing and she forces Jeki, a foot soldier for Haga, to take her to Haga, believing Haga had kidnapped Monji. Jeki begrudgingly takes 13 to the Moonrose. Jeki explains that Haga and his twin sister Soriah are a part of a crime syndicate that involves the corrupt Prasetyo who is also Haga's lover. The syndicate also includes Ariel, a drug lord running as vice governor of Jakarta alongside his father, Soemitro, an influential criminal kingpin. At the Moonrose, Soriah arranges a drug deal with drug lord Abi Kabil. Jeki requests an audience with Haga to Soriah, presenting 13 as a gift for his boss. 13 learns that Monji had come to the Moonrose the previous night and was kidnapped by Prasetyo and Haga.
In Cambodia, Umbra eliminates a number of her masked targets and rendeszvouses with a fellow Shadow, Troika, who was also assigned the mission unbeknownst to Umbra. Troika points out that the people Umbra has been killing were also Shadows. Umbra tracks down her main target, Volver, a Shadow. Umbra bests Volver but hesistates in killing her upon learning that Volver is pregnant, which is thought to be impossible for Shadows. Volver asks Umbra to join her but Umbra just lets her escape. However, Troika finds Volver and kills her.
13 kills Haga, which enraged Soriah who shoots up the Moonrose and inadvertently draws the police's attention. 13 kills the Moonrose's security team and eventually escapes with Jeki but the two part ways after the latter's refusal to help in 13's mission to recover Monji.
Prasetyo desperately hunts down 13 after hearing of Haga's death from Ariel and Soriah takes shelter with Ariel. Soemitro berates Ariel for needlessly causing chaos by killing Asti who was pregnant with Ariel's child. In turn, Ariel tortures the captive Monji.
Later that night, Prasetyo and his corrupt police squad stormed Jeki's grandmother's house but their attack was thwarted by 13. Prasetyo escapes and leads 13 into a trap at Ariel's mansion. Before she is incapacitated, 13 kills Prasetyo. Ariel and Soriah was determined to torture and kill 13 as revenge but the two are stopped by Soemitro. Soemitro intends to use 13 as protection during the Kabil drug deal as the syndicate has lost many members because of 13. 13 spends the night with Monji who apologizes for being unable to let go of his mother.
After the mission in Cambodia, The Handler reprimands Umbra for hesitating in killing Volver to which Umbra complaints that she was not informed that the targets were also Shadows. The Handler replies by informing Umbra of 13's killing spree, tasking Umbra and Troika to neutralize her to prevent further damage.
Before the deal, Ariel tasks 13 to kill Kabil once the exchange has taken place. As the deal happens, Monji-who is in the same car as Soemitro and Jeki-succumbs to his injuries and dies. Realising this, Jeki alerts 13, who becomes dazed and does not kill Kabil. Jeki takes control of the car he's in and drives it into Kabil's men. In the ensuing chaos, Kabil orders his men to open fire on Ariel's, leading to a gigantic shootout that killed Soemitro, Kabil, and all of Kabil's men. 13 takes advantage of the confusion in the aftermath of the shootout to kill off Ariel's men, and after a prolonged fight, eventually eliminates Ariel. However, 13 is cornered by Soriah, who is swiftly killed by Jeki. 13 retrieves Monji's body and leaves with Jeki. During the way back from the shootout, Umbra and Troika crashes into 13 and Jeki's car, incapacitating the two.
The Handler tasks Umbra to execute 13 but Umbra hesitates once again, this allows Jeki to overpower her before he is killed by the Handler. 13 escapes her restraints and runs into a nearby building where she is pursued by Troika. 13 kills Troika just as Umbra arrives. 13 and Umbra duels each other and Umbra wins despite suffering heavy wounds. The Handler arrives and orders Umbra to kill 13, Umbra disobeys and attacks the Handler. Umbra is fatally shot which leads to 13 killing the Handler. 13 cradles the dying Umbra and Umbra reveals 13's true name, Nomi, to 13 as Umbra dies.
Returning to Jakarta, 13 buries Monji but discovers that other Shadows are coming after her. The Shadows are led by 14, 13's successor, who wants to kill 13. A masked man arrives and kills two of the Shadows and threatens 14 before she leaves. The Masked Man reveals himself to be Master Burai, Umbra's revered mentor, who requests 13 to become his mentee. 13 agrees and asks that she be called Nomi from now on.
In 2023, Netflix announced its Indonesian original slate including The Shadow Strays. Tjahjanto previously directed a Netflix original film The Big 4 a year prior. The production began in July 2023.
The Shadow Strays had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2024, during the Midnight Madness section.
Trailer for the film was released in September 2024 ahead of its release on Netflix worldwide on 17 October 2024.
In just six days after its release, The Shadow Strays charted in Netflix's Global Top 10 of non-English film and also ranked the Top 10 Films in 85 countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10.
Patrick Brzeski of The Hollywood Reporter praised The Shadow Strays and described it as John Wick but "make it Indonesian women with uzis and samurai swords — and more brutal". Johnny Loftus on New York Post's Decider commented that "Shadow Strays consists of extended bouts of firearm and fist and swordplay that result in so many satisfyingly gruesome kill shots" and acclaimed Ribero and Malasan's professional skill and personal bond that "establishes and eventually pierces the heart at the center of Shadow Strays" as well as recommended to watch the film. Maxance Vincent on Loud and Clear Reviews approved the film's intense action and violence choreography, describing it as "nonstop carnage" and "admittedly impressive to watch from a visual/aural perspective but is purposefully unenjoyable", and concluded that the film is "one of the best and most thrilling action movies of the year" with greatly distinctive choreography compared to other notable independent films in 2024.
David Ehrlich of IndieWire criticized the film's maximalist violence as "a graceless orgy of death and dismemberment that’s easier to appreciate for its spirit than it is to enjoy for its execution(s)" and Timo's vision for the "muchness" nuance of his film as a "double-edged sword". Chris Evangelista wrote for /Film and overall gave a balanced evaluation for the film as "exciting and exhausting". He praised Timo's delivery of the action and the cinematography as "superb style" and "everything looks extra cool"; commented that "The Shadow Strays is a movie designed to be cool"; and acknowledged the violence's true artistry as he "particularly loved how filthy and bloody the characters get as they engage in scuffles"; though he pointed out that the violence aspect of the film is "so constant and unyielding" that it made himself "growing less enamored with the frequent bloody action and a little more weary" as the film progresses.
On December 6, 2024, it was named the #1 Martial Arts Film of 2024 by the editors of Taekwondo Life Magazine