The Shadow Strays Review: Aurora Ribero Shines in the Very Satisfying Action Film

The Shadow Strays is an Indonesian action thriller with intense fight sequences that will keep you hooked until the end. The film revolves around a young assassin who gets involved in a crime syndicate when she tries to rescue a boy she just met. As her astonishing actions create chaos everywhere, people from her organisation set their sights on her while dealing with defectors.

The film has a runtime of 2 hours and 25 minutes.

-No Spoilers-

The Shadow Strays Review

The plot of the film revolves around a young assassin who is awaiting her next mission. While lying low in the city, she comes across a mother-son duo who pick her interest. Suddenly, she sees the mother getting killed, sparking memories of her own and is drawn to him. But when the boy is kidnapped, she begins on a search that takes her in the middle of a whirlpool of the crime syndicate dominating the city. Meanwhile, her organisation is dealing with drifters and after the chaos she causes in her search, she becomes their new target.

The film begins with some intense action scenes filled with lots of gore and scenes of violence that are not for everyone. The fight scenes are beautifully executed and filmed and this continues for most of the film. You are surely going to love the camerawork in this film as it flows steadily without causing any dizziness which can be seen in many other action films.

Keeping a simple plot of a search that goes over two days, the protagonist’s tenacity highlights the vicious training assassins usually go through. While the story doesn’t have many dramatic realisations, at least until the end, it has fight scenes that will keep you hooked throughout its duration. Meanwhile, we also see a plot under preparation for the next instalment of the film.

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The way these scenes in preparation for the next part of the film were introduced was smooth and intriguing. These scenes have a charm of their own and only get viewers more invested in the film, especially with the way they connect to the protagonist. Talking about the protagonist, Aurora Ribero will leave you astonished with her portrayal of 13. She has surely worked hard for this role and it is evident through her performance.

However, it is also important to mention that the gore and violence scenes are like no other and will be cringy to quite an extent. Don’t compare it with the bloodshed you’ve been seeing recently, it’s comparable to the bloodshed we’ve seen in Game of Thrones. Yes, that does mean that some heads are getting crushed and some heads are getting sliced off.

Altogether, the film may be seen as one with a weak plot, but it is the simplicity of the same that highlights the action sequences, which are indeed the main focus. And if a second part of the film comes out about the rebellion of the defectors, I hope these action scenes are at least kept this way even if not intensified.

Summing Up

The film highlights the brutal, cold-blooded murders committed by an assassin and is questioned by a young assassin of the organisation. With intense action scenes that will keep you hooked, the simple plot acts as a good background that highlights the same. The film leaves us with hopes for a second part and I hope that it happens soon.

Overall, it is a good watch if you are an action lover. But do be warned that the gore and violence scenes are not suitable for everyone.

Watch The Shadow Strays on Netflix.

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