Shadow Force is a 2025 American action thriller directed by Joe Carnahan and co-written with Leon Chills. The film follows Kyrah and Isaac, former leaders of a covert multinational special forces unit called Shadow Force. After breaking protocol by falling in love, they go underground to protect their son. With a bounty on their heads, they must evade their former comrades who are now hunting them down.
Movie Title: Shadow Force
Year of Release: 2025
Date of Release: May 9, 2025 (United States)
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writers: Joe Carnahan, Leon Chills
Producers: Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone, Stephen “Dr.” Love, Sterling K. Brown
Production Companies: Lionsgate, Simpson Street, Made With Love Media, Indian Meadows Productions, Media Capital Technologies
Distributor: Lionsgate
Cast and Roles:
- Kerry Washington as Kyrah
- Omar Sy as Isaac
- Mark Strong as Jack
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph
- Cliff “Method Man” Smith
- Jahleel Kamara
- Krondon
- Natalia Reyes
- Yoson An
- Ed Quinn
- Jénel Stevens as Anino
- Marshall Cook as Patrick
- Barbara Saba as Aurora
Running Time: 104 minutes
Age Rating: R (for violence and language throughout)
Country: United States
Language: English
Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller
Music: Craig DeLeon
Cinematography: Juan Miguel Azpiroz
Editing: Kevin Hale
Note:
Shadow Force filming took place in Colombia, with principal photography wrapping in October 2022.
What Other Reviewers Are Saying:
"Director Joe Carnahan is no stranger to the genre and the excessive cheese it can give way to. For his latest effort, Shadow Force, he’s working with what he knows, not remotely upsetting the genre playbook within the covert operations/spy romance subsect in the process, but providing enough violent thrills, intentional humour and playful lead chemistry for it to be worth a breezy, escapist viewing." — Peter Gray, The AU Review
"I found myself completely unable to get invested in Shadow Force. All I really wanted was some fun action, but those few moments are so abbreviated that I struggle to even call this an action movie." — Tyler Nichols, JoBlo
"The script is borderline incomprehensible; it's a tale of a family protecting each other that spends little time establishing their actual bond before throwing them in the deep end." — Clint Worthington, RogerEbert.com
Verayea’s Take:
"Shadow Force tries to blend action, family drama, and comedy, but struggles to fully deliver on any front. While it’s fun to see Kerry Washington in a different kind of role and Omar Sy bringing his usual charm, the rushed plot and uneven tone hold the film back. There are some enjoyable moments, but they don’t quite add up to something memorable."
— Alexander Azonobo, Verayea
⭐ Verayea Rating:
2 / 5
