Shaft
2019 · Directed by Tim Story
Original language: English
- action
- crime
- comedy
- mystery
The story
JJ, aka John Shaft Jr., may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated Harlem street scenes with warm sodium and neon spilling over wet pavement, quick cuts and handheld energy in the action beats, and a funk-and-hip-hop score that keeps the pulse up even in the quieter exchanges. It feels like a loud, good-humored night out rather than a grim crime drama: sudden shootouts and a few brisk fight sequences arrive with some bloodshed and gunfire, but the violence is staged for thrill and is played off with wisecracks, so it reads as action-comedy rather than gore. Drug-trade menace (heroin, a crime boss) hovers in the background without much lingering cruelty, and a friend's death gives the story its stakes without dwelling on grief. The pacing is brisk and talky, with banter between a buttoned-up tech-savvy son and a legendary, unbothered father carrying much of the rhythm, and the emotional arc is a estranged man slowly learning to be a father while the two find their footing. Best for weekend movie nights, a comfort watch with friends, or anyone who wants a stylish, funny, mildly violent caper with a warm family core and no need for a heavy mood.
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