“Shadow Force” Review: A Fun, Stylish Action Flick Doomed by Its Terrible Title

Shadow Force (2025) Review

Directed by Joe Carnahan

Written by Leon Chills, Joe Carnahan

Starring Kerry Washington, Omar Sy

Release Date: May 9, 2025

Review Published: May 13, 2025

If you wanted to sabotage the release of a movie, for whatever reason, a great way to do it is to name it Shadow Force. It sounds like a dusty Cannon Films VHS from the ’80s starring Michael Dudikoff—not a modern action film aiming for blockbuster success. It’s certainly not the right title for a movie starring an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor like Kerry Washington. What was anyone thinking? You might as well have called it Box Office Poison.

It’s a real shame, too, because Shadow Force is actually a lot of fun.

Washington stars as Kyrah, one half of a deadly assassin duo. She met and fell in love with Isaac (Omar Sy) when they were both members of a secret CIA unit called Shadow Force—headed by the maniacal Cinder, played with vein-popping fury by Mark Strong. Of course, falling in love is against the rules. In Shadow Force, the only way out is death. Kyrah and Isaac torched the entire organization to escape and start a new life—right after discovering Kyrah was pregnant.

To keep their baby safe, Kyrah and Isaac separate. Kyrah’s mission is to eliminate the remaining members of Shadow Force, while Isaac lays low, raising their son Ky (Jahleel Kamara) and working off the books. The story picks up five years later. Ky is adorable—he sings Lionel Richie songs, asks his dad endless inane questions, and completely steals every scene he’s in. Kamara could genuinely be a future star.

Then Isaac breaks cover. While visiting a bank, robbers storm in and threaten Ky. Isaac instinctively goes full Shadow Force, taking out four robbers in under a minute. The whole thing is caught on surveillance. Now he and Ky are on the run, leading them to reunite with Kyrah and face the remnants of their past—including a re-energized Cinder, who’s now a high-profile (and vaguely defined) world leader.

That’s the plot. It might not sound like much, and that’s actually part of the charm.

Shadow Force is a throwback to ’80s action flicks, but directed with real style and energy. Joe Carnahan is a pro—his direction gives the movie polish, speed, and just enough humor to make it all sing. The recurring Lionel Richie gag starts out cute and ends up oddly touching. The film’s not smart, exactly, but it’s clever, crafty, and often moving too fast for you to care about its flaws.

Omar Sy is a total charmer. Long a major star in French cinema, he’s finally getting noticed in the U.S., and it’s easy to see why. He’s got the physicality for action and the warmth to make Isaac feel real. He also has great chemistry with Kerry Washington, who is making a strong move to the big screen here. She blends brains, swagger, and genuine emotion—she’s a badass action hero and a protective mom.

Oscar-winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Method Man round out the cast as Auntie and Unc, bickering allies who help Kyrah and Isaac in the action-packed final act. They’re clearly having a blast, especially Randolph, who dives headfirst into secret-agent mode. Like everything else in Shadow Force, they’re fun—and because they’re having fun, we are too.

Unfortunately, Shadow Force bombed. The movie cost $40 million and only made $2.2 million in its opening weekend. It’s not a historic failure, but it’s bad. And it’s a real shame. This movie is a blast: it has a terrific cast, a skilled director, and one of the sweetest kid performances I’ve seen in ages. It deserved better.

It especially deserved a better title. Shadow Force sounds like they left the placeholder name on the poster and forgot to come up with the real one.

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Tags:

Shadow Force review, Kerry Washington movie, Omar Sy, Joe Carnahan, 2025 action movies, underrated action films, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Method Man, box office flops, vocal media movie reviews