THE SHADOW STRAYS – NETFLIX MOVIE REVIEW

March 19, 2025

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Step into a world where shadows aren’t just silhouettes they’re deadly forces in motion. Netflix’s “The Shadow Strays” plunges you into Jakarta’s gritty underbelly, where 17‑year‑old assassin Codename 13 must defy a cold, secret organization and her own suppressed past to rescue a vulnerable child. With every bone-crushing fight and splatter of practical blood, director Timo Tjahjanto (@timobros) unleashes a relentless, adrenaline-fueled ride that transforms lethal precision into an art form.

Codename 13 is a 17‐year‐old assassin, the newest member of an elite, secret organization of killers known as the Shadows. On a mission in Japan, she assassinates the leader of a criminal clan but inadvertently kills an innocent bystander. Distraught by her lapse, her mentor Umbra swiftly intervenes, eliminating the remaining clan members and rescuing 13. However, 13’s mistake means she is suspended from duty and sent to Jakarta for “psych retraining,” while Umbra is dispatched on a mission in Cambodia.

In Jakarta, 13 endures recurring nightmares of her mother’s death and follows strict orders to suppress her emotions with medication. Living near a safehouse, she encounters 11‐year‐old Monji and his mother Asti. Asti works as an escort for Haga a violent human trafficker and club owner whose men brutally assault Monji and his mother one fateful night. The next morning, Monji’s mother is found dead, leaving the young boy traumatized and vulnerable.

After weeks without new instructions, 13 grows restless and stops taking her pills. Befriending Monji, who yearns for revenge and protection, she comforts him at his mother’s grave. When Monji suddenly disappears, 13 is convinced he has been kidnapped by Haga. Desperate to rescue him, she forces Jeki a low-level henchman to drive her to Haga’s nightclub, Moonrose.

At the club, 13 learns from Jeki that Haga, along with his twin sister Soriah, is deeply embedded in a sprawling criminal syndicate that involves corrupt police detective Prasetyo, drug lord Ariel (who is also a politician’s son), and kingpin Soemitro. CCTV footage confirms that Monji was indeed taken there. Meanwhile, in Cambodia, Umbra carries out a series of violent hits on masked targets. She confronts her main target, Volver a fellow Shadow and hesitates to kill her upon discovering that Volver is pregnant, an anomaly among Shadows. Though Umbra spares Volver, her partner Troika later dispatches her.

Back in Jakarta, 13 exacts revenge by killing Haga. Enraged, Soriah retaliates by unleashing gunfire in the nightclub, drawing police attention. Amid a chaotic shootout, 13 escapes with Jeki, although they soon part ways due to irreconcilable differences regarding her mission to recover Monji.

As the criminal syndicate scrambles, detective Prasetyo intensifies his manhunt for 13. Corrupt officials and criminals, including Ariel and Soemitro, begin to fall one by one as 13’s violent rampage disrupts their operations. Monji, meanwhile, is subjected to torture by Ariel, deepening 13’s resolve.

During a trap at Ariel’s mansion, 13 fights her way through a barrage of enemies. Before being overwhelmed, she manages to kill Prasetyo. Soemitro intervenes, planning to use 13 as a pawn in a lucrative drug deal with rival drug lord Kabil. However, as the deal unfolds, Monji who has been riding with Soemitro, Jeki, and others succumbs to injuries, a loss that shakes 13. Jeki’s urgent alert during the ensuing chaos causes 13 to falter, and she spares Kabil, inadvertently allowing more carnage.

In the ensuing massive shootout, Soemitro, Kabil, and many of their henchmen are killed. 13, seizing the moment, eliminates Ariel after a prolonged and brutal fight. However, just as she seems victorious, Soriah corners her. Jeki intervenes and kills Soriah, but soon after, Umbra and Troika crash into 13 and Jeki’s escape vehicle, incapacitating them.

Now under control, 13 is forced into a deadly standoff. The Handler, the enigmatic leader of the Shadows, orders Umbra to execute her to prevent further damage. In a tense moment of hesitation, Umbra disobeys and instead battles 13. During a ferocious duel, Umbra overpowers 13 despite suffering severe wounds. As the Handler arrives to enforce his orders, Umbra turns on him. In the ensuing chaos, 13 ultimately kills the Handler. As she cradles the dying Umbra, Umbra reveals 13’s true name Nomi thus restoring a part of her identity long suppressed by the organization.

Returning to Jakarta, a grief-stricken 13 buries Monji. However, her ordeal is far from over. Other Shadows, led by 14 the designated successor of 13 confront her. Just when all seems lost, a masked man appears and decimates several of the pursuing Shadows. He reveals himself as Master Burai, Umbra’s revered mentor, and offers 13 a chance to become his new mentee. Accepting his offer, 13 reclaims her identity and resolves to forge her own path, now calling herself Nomi.