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If you’ve just watched The Shadow Strays on Netflix and are craving more high-octane, brutal action movies that are like it in some way, this list is for you. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, this relentless action epic is filled with violent standoffs, breakneck fight choreography, and a morally conflicted heroine navigating a dangerous underworld. With its maximalist style, excessive bloodshed, and a narrative centered around mercenaries who kill for the highest bidder, the film offers a dizzying ride that prioritizes visceral thrills over emotional depth.
For fans of The Shadow Strays who are seeking more movies that like the aforementioned blend stylized violence with stories of antiheroes, we’ve compiled a list of five action-packed movies that deliver similarly intense experiences. These films, ranging from assassin revenge tales to brutal gangland showdowns, all share themes of relentless combat, emotional scars, and protagonists battling their own darkness.
1. The Night Comes for Us (2018)
Directed by Timo Tjahjanto himself, The Night Comes for Us is an ultra-violent Indonesian action film that shares a similar bone-crunching intensity and maximalist style with The Shadow Strays. The story follows Ito (Joe Taslim), a top enforcer for the Triad, who turns against his own gang to save a young girl. This act of rebellion sets off a violent chain of events as Ito becomes a target, pursued by his former allies, including his childhood friend Arian (Iko Uwais), who has ambitions of rising in the Triad ranks.
Like The Shadow Strays, the action sequences are wild, excessive, and filled with dizzying choreography. Both films are filled with relentless, high-octane combat scenes, featuring intense hand-to-hand combat, close-range shootouts, and over-the-top violence. They embrace maximalist action where the fight sequences are designed to leave audiences breathless and on edge.
2. Carter (2022)
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Directed by Jung Byung-gil Carter (2022) follows the story of a man named Carter, who wakes up with no memory of his past, a mysterious device in his head, and a voice in his ear giving him orders. He is thrown into a deadly mission to rescue a girl who holds the key to stopping a global pandemic, while being pursued by various factions, including the CIA, North Korean agents, and a South Korean rebel group.
Similar to The Shadow Strays, the film leans on relentless action, quick-paced fight scenes, and a protagonist battling internal conflicts while surrounded by violent chaos. Both films feature central characters who are unclear about their pasts. In The Shadow Strays, the lead character 13 deals with emotional scars and internal conflict, while in Carter, the protagonist suffers from complete memory loss, adding a layer of mystery to their motivations and struggles.
3. Kate (2021)
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Kate, a ruthless assassin working for an organization that raised her since childhood, the Netflix actioner is set in Tokyo and follows the protagonist as she is poisoned during a mission and given just 24 hours to live. She embarks on a relentless quest to exact revenge on those responsible for her imminent death while uncovering shocking truths about her past and her role in the organization she serves. As she grows closer to a teenage girl named Ani, Kate faces emotional conflict and questions the choices that led her down her deadly path.
Like The Shadow Strays, Kate is one of those movies that is filled with fast-paced action sequences and a heroine caught between her brutal profession and moments of vulnerability. Both films explore the price of a violent life and the emotional toll it takes on its protagonists. As far as movies like The Shadow Strays are concerned, Kate also explores the theme of betrayal within the organizations the assassins work for. In Kate, she realizes that the people she trusted most may have been manipulating her all along, similar to 13’s experience in The Shadow Strays, where her loyalty to the Shadows is tested.
4. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Directed by Navot Papushado and centering around Sam (Karen Gillan), a highly skilled assassin who works for a secret organization called “The Firm,” Gunpowder Milkshake is a perfect next view for people seeking movies that are like The Shadow Strays on Netflix. After a job goes wrong, Sam is forced to protect an innocent young girl named Emily, which puts her at odds with her employers. As she tries to escape from the deadly fallout, Sam reunites with her estranged mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), and a group of other formidable female assassins. Together, they battle their way through waves of enemies in a highly stylized, neon-soaked world of assassins.
This female-led action movie features a secret society of assassins and plenty of over-the-top shootouts and close-quarters combat, echoing the high-energy violence seen in The Shadow Strays. With its neon-lit, stylish cinematography and fierce female characters, Gunpowder Milkshake aligns with The Shadow Strays’ aesthetic and its exploration of characters trying to escape from their lethal pasts. In Gunpowder Milkshake, Sam forms an emotional bond with Emily, a young girl she’s tasked with protecting. Similarly, in The Shadow Strays, 13 develops an attachment to a teenage boy named Monji, whose protection becomes her primary concern, even at the cost of defying her deadly organization.
5. Furies (2022)
Furies (2022), directed by Veronica Ngo, is a Vietnamese action film set in the vibrant underworld of 1990s Saigon. It follows three women—Bi, Thanh, and Hong—who are recruited by the enigmatic leader Jacqueline to take down a powerful crime syndicate led by men involved in human trafficking, drugs, and other nefarious activities. Each woman has a traumatic past, and together they form a vigilante group to seek revenge on those who have wronged them and reclaim their agency in a male-dominated world.
With its brutal fight choreography and exploration of the darker aspects of a violent lifestyle, Furies shares thematic similarities with The Shadow Strays, especially in its portrayal of emotionally scarred women caught in the underworld. The movie finds its place in a list of movies like The Shadow Strays as both center around female characters who are trained as lethal fighters. In Furies, the women band together to dismantle a male-dominated criminal enterprise, while in The Shadow Strays, 13 is part of a secret organization of mercenaries. Both stories highlight the empowerment of women through violence as they seek justice or revenge.