Shadows on the Wall | Shadow Force

Shadow Force

dir Joe Carnahan
scr Leon Chills, Joe Carnahan
prd Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone, Stephen "Dr" Love, Sterling K Brown
with Kerry Washington, Omar Sy, Mark Strong, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Jahleel Kamara, Marshall Cook, Ed Quinn, Yoson An, Sala Baker, Marvin Jones III, Natalia Reyes, Jenel Stevens-Thompson
release US 9.May.25,
UK 13.Jun.25
25/US Lionsgate 1h44

Is it streaming?

Fast and enjoyably nonsensical, this action romp is considerably bolstered by its likeable leads Kerry Washington and Omar Sy. After some lightly comical set-up, the film dives into a series of bonkers set-pieces that are infused with both grisly violence and the predictability of that whole subset of movies about parents who have secret heightened fighting skills for some reason. Yes, it's utterly ridiculous, but it's well-produced entertainment.

In Miami, black ops agent Kyrah (Washington) has left her cheeky young son Ky (Kamara) to be raised by estranged boyfriend Isaac (Sy), a fellow soldier. But their old boss Jack (Strong) sends a team of shadowy operatives after them. Isaac takes Ky to hide in the Colombian jungle, and Kyrah joins them there. Meanwhile, a pair of CIA handlers (Randolph and Smith) offers to help them. And as they converge on a small island, Kyrah and Isaac know they'll need to finish this once and for all rather than just try to escape again.

Flashbacks fill in how Kyrah and Isaac crossed Jack when they left his elite Shadow Force, leaving him determined to get even. He deploys the last five remaining members of the crew, ruthless killers they used to work alongside. As things progress, it becomes tricky to know who is now working for whom, leading to a series of standoffs, explosive chases and shootouts. The stuntwork is enjoyably over-the-top, with plenty of daring heroics and implacable villainy.

Washington and Sy play this couple as if fighting is their love language. That and Lionel Ritchie songs. They bicker amusingly after a few years apart, and struggle to work together without their rivalry getting in the way. And quiet interludes allow the actors to play up the romantic connection. Strong is in full-glower mode as the relentlessly vile Jack, while Randolph has some fun with her action beats. Meanwhile, young Kamara gets his own hilarious moments amid the chaos.

Kyrah and Isaac will do anything to protect their family, and this loyalty trumps the professional relationships among this group of murderous thugs. That's about as deep as the movie gets, thematically, as everything spirals out of control, leading to rather a lot of brutal death that's punctuated by corny comedy and sentiment. There isn't a single surprise in where the story goes, right to the expected ending in which a door is left open for ongoing antics. And we might not mind.

themes, language, violence 9.Jun.25

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.