The Shadow Strays is a popular Indonesian martial arts assassin movie enjoying great success following its recent Netflix addition. Written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto with a clear-cut artistic vision, the story concerns a teenage assassin who is forced to rescue a little boy who loses his mother during a dangerous mission. With high production values and non-stop shoot-em-up action, The Shadow Strays has received glowing reviews.
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Fortunately, those who've seen and enjoyed The Shadow Strays are in for a real treat with the hilarious action-comedy The Big 4, Tjahjanto's previous movie also available on Netflix. In addition to providing irresistible dark humor and fun-filled entertainment, The Big 4 will give viewers an indication of Tjhajanto's directorial range, vastly improving his craft after beginning his career making short horror films.
The Shadow Strays (2024) R
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*Availability in US Release Date October 17, 2024 Cast Aurora Ribero , Hana Malasan , Ali Fikry , Kristo Immanuel , Taskya Namya , Andri Mashadi , Adipati Dolken , Agra Piliang Director Timo Tjahjanto Runtime 144 Minutes Main Genre Action Writers Timo Tjahjanto Expand What Is The Shadow Strays About? Close ✕ Remove Ads
New to Netflix on October 17, 2024, The Shadow Strays is a hardcore Indonesian action movie written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto. The hyper-violent original Netflix action movie concerns 13 (Aurora Ribero), a 17-year-old trained assassin who works for an organization called The Shadow. When 13 (real name Nomi) is given a leave of absence following a badly botched assignment in Japan, her boss, Umbra (Hana Malasan), reminds her that she and her colleagues are stone-cold killers without a conscience and must never risk their lives to rescue or negotiate with others.
During her leave and psychiatric reevaluation in Jakarta, 13 meets an 11-year-old boy named Monji (Ali Fikri) and his mother. Meanwhile, 13 continues to have nightmares about her mother and is fed psychiatric medicine by her superiors. When 13 witnesses the lethal assault of Monji's mother, she befriends the boy and takes him to visit her grave. When Monji is suddenly kidnapped shortly after, 13 forgets what Umbra told her about her professional M.O. and sets out to rescue the boy.
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13's gallant globetrotting mission takes her to Cambodia, where she violently confronts several shady Shadow members and international drug syndicates. While her primary mission is to save Monji from harm, avenging the boy's mother also helps 13 deal with her long-held family trauma. An ultimate tale of friendship, companionship, and surrogate motherhood, The Shadow Strays has a palpable emotional core at the center of its ultra-violent action. Those who've seen and enjoyed it must see Tjahjanto's equally amusing take on the dark-comedy action subgenre.
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Released on Netflix on December 15, 2022, The Big 4 is a morbidly dark action comedy set in sunny Bali, Indonesia. Co-written by Tjahjanto and Johanna Wattimena, the title refers to the four adopted adult children of Petrus (Budi Ros), a secret assassin trainer whose daughter Dina (Putri Marino) is a straight-laced police detective.
When Petrus is suddenly murdered, the four cowardly amateur assassins -- Topan (Abimana Aryasatya), Alpha (Lutesha), Jengo (Arie Kriting), and Pelor (Kristo Immanuel) -- go into hiding. Meanwhile, Dina comes to the island to investigate her father's death, prompting an inevitable collision course between her and the four hitmen. However, when it seems like Dina will arrest the bumbling assassins, she joins forces with them to bring down her father's vengeful foes.
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As the four assassins knock off the rust and adjust to their unretired status, hilarity and hijinks ensue with a playful tone and slapstick humor that balances the graphic violence and onscreen carnage. Although the 141-minute runtime stretches the movie's comedic premise too thin at times and tends to overstay its welcome, the deft blend of a sunny vacation setting, blood-soaked violence, and cartoonish humor makes for a wildly amusing watch.
If nothing else, The Big 4 proves Timo Tjahjanto is a truly talented filmmaker worth keeping tabs on in the future. Horror fans witnessed as much when he delivered the terrifying "Safe Haven" segment in V/H/S/2 in 2013. In the decade since, he has improved his storytelling acumen and technical craft, directly related to the resources provided. With more time and money at his disposal thanks to Netflix's continued backing, the sky is the limit for Timo Tjhajanto.
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Fans of The Shadow Strays must see The Big 4 to witness the art of the absurd mixed with action tenets. Tjahjanto has built a filmmaking style that favors flashy chaos and ludicrous illogic over all else (in the best way). The Big 4 marks the pinnacle of this intersection, where the brutal action sequences feel looser, more natural, and less contrived and choreographed. The result is a filmmaker having an absolute ball while subverting what fans have come to expect with gangster-assassin stories.
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The over-the-top excess makes The Big 4 a joy, even if some jokes misfire and the runtime drags too long. The movie's broad comic appeal has helped The Big 4 find international Netflix success, with Variety reporting that it was the second most-watched non-English-language movie or TV show in its first release week. Moreover, the film hit the Top 10 in 53 countries, including Indonesia, Argentina, Finland, Greece, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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To that end, The Big Four has earned a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, with an 81% Audience Score supporting its broad appeal. Among the chief plaudits, Roger Ebert's Brian Tallerico beamed about the movie's zany energy, stating:
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"The Big 4 is at its best when it's at its most ludicrous, whether it's the striking opening showdown or a wonderful later scene in which Topan has to ward off a pair of villains behind a door without revealing the violence to Dina.
Lio leans into his villain role with fantastic facial hair, a silly number of knives sheathed on his body, and a fashion sense that seems built around his snarl. Most people who watch "The Big 4" will be drawn to its cartoonish action, but the cast is solid from top to bottom, especially Lio, Marino, and Aryasatya."
Although Tjahjanto conceived The Big 4 as a potential action franchise, there's no official word about a sequel being developed at this time. Until more is known, fans of The Shadow Strays will reap immense pleasure from The Big 4. The Shadow Strays & The Big 4 are available to stream on Netflix
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