The Shadow Strays ★★★½

INDONESIA’S Timo Tjahjanto is one of the best action directors working in cinema today.

As one half of the Mo Brothers, he burst onto the scene with 2014’s Killers and followed with Headshot in 2016, the terrific The Night Comes For Us (2018) and now blistering actioner The Shadow Strays.

Since the revelatory The Raid in 2011, Indonesia has been upping the ante on gore-filled action cinema to the extent that the quality of its output is sometimes equal to the best that countries like Korea are offering.

Don’t get me wrong, the Koreans are still at the forefront, along with Keanu Reeves’ cohort behind the John Wick films over in Hollywood.

But Timo and others like him are up for the challenge and in the fight.

In The Shadow Strays it’s time for the female action stars to take centre-stage with Aurora Ribero playing a 17-year-old assassin, codename ‘13’, who is suspended after a botched mission in Japan.

This is a brilliant opening set piece with sword-wielding ninjas hacking their way close-quarters through a gang of gunmen guarding the leader of a criminal clan.

Frustrated while forced to cool her heels waiting for a new assignment, 13 ends up going rogue to help an 11-year-old boy take revenge on the men who killed his mother who also happen to be drug runners and human traffickers.

If you are a fan of quality action films and think you have seen every way that a person can be maimed or killed on the cinema screen, think again and revel in the skill of Timo and his team of fight choreographers and performers.

As long as you aren’t squeamish in any way, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

Watched on Netflix.