If you want to kick off your week with a movie that will get your heart racing Netflix has just the flick for you, “The Shadow Strays”. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, who helmed the platform's 2022 action comedy “The Big 4”, this new action-thriller only dropped on the streaming service last week (Thursday, October 17), but it’s already made quite the impression on Netflix subscribers.
As of writing, “The Shadow Strays” has entered the Netflix top 10 most-watched list at No. 7, which places it above Netflix’s recent romantic drama “Lonely Planet”. Over in the U.K., it’s enjoying even stronger success having reached the No. 4 spot, and naturally, in the movie’s native Indonesia, it has gone all the way to No. 1, where it’ll likely stay for quite some time.
If you’re looking for a movie that will really get your adrenaline flowing, and don’t mind some very violent action sequences, here’s why “The Shadow Strays” is the jolt of excitement you need to get your week off to a flying start…
What is ‘The Shadow Strays’ about?
Codename 13 (Aurora Ribero) is just 17 years old but has already become a lethal assassin working for a shady organization, appropriately called, The Shadow. But when a job goes wrong, she’s suspended and exiled to Jakarta as there’s no tolerance for sloppy work in her field.
Connecting with her young neighbor Monji (Ali Fikry), 13 springs into action when a violent crime syndicate murders the boy's mother and takes him hostage. Hellbent on locating her friend, she isn’t afraid to get her hands very dirty as she desperately looks for answers.
However, 13's mission to save her only friend ultimately brings her into conflict with her mentor Umbra (Hana Malasan), and the very organization that trained her to be a killer.
‘The Shadow Strays’ reviews — critics and viewers are in agreement
“The Shadow Strays” hasn’t even been on Netflix for a week, but it’s already pulling some impressive ratings. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a strong 87% score from critics. Granted, this figure comes from a relatively small sample size of just 15 write-ups, but it’s still a solid indication that “The Shadow Strays” is worth adding to your Netflix watchlist.
Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com notes, “Tjahjanto’s enthusiasm and dedication to conceptual novelty continue to match Irfan’s creativity and accomplished work with his stunt teams.” Meanwhile, Barry Hertz of Globe and Mail praised the action-thriller for “Finding new and inventively cruel ways to shuffle henchmen off this mortal coil” and for “overkilling the concept of overkill.”
AV Club’s Katie Rife said, “Creative methods of killing and maiming are Tjahjanto's specialty, and they fly at the viewer at a furious pace.” But David Ehrlich of IndieWire was more critical: “Tjahjanto wants so desperately to make the most badass action movie you’ve ever seen, and that’s a beautiful goal to have. I suspect the rewards would speak for themselves if he simply set his sights on making a good one first.”
While there are a few more negative takes, the overall critical consensus is positive, and viewers appear to feel similar. “The Shadow Strays” holds an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes with user reviews praising the movie for offering “intense adrenaline-fueled action choreography” and calling it “one of the best action movies I've seen in some time.”
Stream 'The Shadow Strays’ on Netflix now
At almost two and a half hours long, “The Shadow Strays” isn’t a breezy movie to throw on after a long shift. However, if you have time to commit to something epic, it looks like another action-thriller winner for Netflix. Just be aware that things get pretty darn violent, so you’ll need to be able to handle buckets of fake blood before hitting the play button.
“The Shadow Strays” is also another win for Netflix’s international film library, and it’s great to see U.S. viewers embrace a movie that should be watched with subtitles (An English dub is available, but the original Indonesian language track is the best way to watch). If you enjoyed movies like “John Wick” or “The Raid”, then you need to stream “The Shadow Strays” right now.
Alternatively, if pulpy action isn’t quite to your taste, here’s a rundown of all the new TV shows and movies coming to Netflix this week. Or you could catch up on the streamer’s current No. 1 movie, which is a very compelling crime-thriller starring (and directed by) Anna Kendrick.
Watch "The Shadow Strays" on Netflix now
More from Tom's Guide
