Kerry Washington's new action movie is a blast — and blew my expectations away

Tom's Guide

09-05-2025

It's tough to decide whether to go to the theaters or stick to what's on the best streaming services. But if you want something to watch this weekend, go to your local cinema and check out Kerry Washington in "Shadow Force."
I'll be honest, when I saw the trailer, I wasn't particularly impressed. It felt like a cliche action movie in all the worst ways.
But I had a chance to see it at the Atlanta Film Festival and felt I had an obligation to go.
I'm glad I did, because I had a blast (pun somewhat intended).
Don't get me wrong, this movie doesn't break the mold, and it definitely has some of those aforementioned action movie cliches.
But it also has some great performances, hilarious moments and impressive action set pieces with some spectacular kills. Here's why you should go see 'Shadow Force' when it hits theaters this weekend.
'Shadow Force' stars Kerry Washington and Omar Sy as Kyrah and Isaac, respectively.
These two were former members of a special forces team known as Shadow Force, but they fell in love, had a son named Ky (Jahleel Kamara) and decided to abandon their team and go dark to keep Ky safe.
Unfortunately for them, one day Isaac's location is exposed to the world, and now Shadow Force director Jack Cinder (Mark Strong) has unleashed the remaining members of his kill squad to hunt Kyrah and Isaac down — offering $50 million to whoever can get the job done.
Full disclosure: This movie is borderline a rom-com masquerading as an action comedy at times.
There's an ex who isn't over the relationship, a woman trying to protect her family, and even star-crossed lovers connecting through the soulful music of Lionel Richie.
But for as much as this movie can be a love story, it's also got gunfire, explosions, and well-executed hand-to-hand combat.
The climactic action set piece, in particular, is up there with set pieces from the best action movies.
Set on an island villa, this scene devolves into a shootout that's thrilling to watch, with quite of few impressive kills. It then transitions into a chase sequence and a few final battles with another fantastic kill or two, and by the end, you feel like you more than got your money's worth.
Action isn't the only thing 'Shadow Force' has going for it — Jahleel Kamara is hysterical as Kyrah and Isaac's son and Da'Vine Joy Randolph kills it as Auntie, one of Kyrah and Isaac's old friends who is also hunting Cinder and the remains of Shadow Force.
Mark Strong as the villainous Cinder also produces a few incredible moments, including one that had people in my screening gasping in shock.
But these performances ultimately wouldn't make this a movie worth going to the theater for if the action isn't well-executed.
That's the main reason to go see "Shadow Force." So, go to your local theater, grab some popcorn and a soda and strap in for 104 minutes of mindless fun and Hollywood violence.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
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