TIFF 2024 Review: The Shadow Strays
The Shadow Strays (2024)
Directed by Timo Tjahjanto
Starring Aurora Ribero, Hana Malasan, Ali Fikry, and Kristo Immanuel
As seen at the film’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). All images courtesy of TIFF.
Timo Tjahjanto’s latest blood fest, The Shadow Strays, is one of those rare film festival entries that’ll soon be available for home viewing. It premieres on Netflix on October 17, less than a month after its TIFF debut. At my midnight screening, the crowd booed the Netflix logo, but let’s be honest—without the streaming giant’s deep pockets, would Tjahjanto have had the funds and creative freedom to craft one of the bloodiest revenge films I’ve seen since stumbling into the New French Extremity films of the early 2000s?
The midnight crowd was especially raucous, perhaps because they knew this would be their last chance to howl at the moon at TIFF. Every beheading, every eye gouging, and every victorious pose struck by our female lead after a slaughter was met with applause, cheers, and roars of approval. It felt like the younger audience was projecting their frustrations with the patriarchy onto the film’s “bad guys”—and they loved every minute of it.
Aurora Ribero, the film’s star, delivers not only in action but also in acting chops, especially toward the end of the first act when the revenge plot kicks into gear. There’s actually a good 20 minutes without any extreme violence, much to the bloodthirsty crowd’s dismay, but Ribero’s performance fills the void. Young Ali Fikry, who anchors the film, brings an authenticity and emotional depth that his Hollywood child actor counterparts rarely match.
The story unfolds with one showdown after another, revolving around the violent takedowns of each new “big bad,” resembling a video game fever dream. Just when you think our protagonist might get a moment’s rest, she’s thrust into yet another series of brutal trials, and the midnight crowd couldn’t get enough. While your viewing experience at home may not elicit the same frothing-at-the-mouth excitement, know that TIFF’s Midnight Madness crowd was all in.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys action and/or gore.