Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
‘She Rides Shotgun’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on August 1st, Nick Rowland’s crime thriller ‘She Rides Shotgun’ stars Taron Egerton as a newly released convict who must reconnect with the daughter he hardly knows while fleeing a powerful white supremacist drug ring.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The story of a man trying to find common ground with a family member they barely know while also on the run from either A) the cops B) dangerous criminals or C) both is hardly the newest one within the crime thriller genre. But it’s all about the execution.
Fortunately, ‘She Rides Shotgun’, which has been all but dumped in theaters with almost no fanfare despite starring Taron Egerton, is much better than its treatment might suggest.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Co-writer/director Nick Rowland, working with Jordan Harper (on whose novel the movie is also based), Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, has crafted something compelling and watchable, that, while it may travel a largely predictable road, is infused with enough truth, grounded action and surprise to make it worth seeking out.
And Rowland, who previously made ‘Calm with Horses’, shows a real grip on how to bring a story such as this to the screen and keep it visually interesting –– helped by the moody, dramatic backdrop of New Mexico.
The shootouts feel painful and honest, and while the big finale is certainly loaded with drama, it doesn’t lose sight of the characters.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger star in ‘She Rides Shotgun’.
This type of movie flounders if you don’t have a believable dynamic between the main characters, but here Egerton (who is typically great) and Hager have true chemistry, building slowly as Polly’s feelings towards the man she barely knows as her father flourishes and she finds her strength.
Credit also to the likes of Rob Yang as the police officer trying to help Egerton’s ex-con (albeit with his own agenda) and John Carroll Lynch, who plays a violent, psychotic drug kingpin.
Final Thoughts
Ana Sophia Heger in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
A solid script with just a few predictable moments and excellent performances by the cast add up to a surprising small gem of a crime thriller that deserved better treatment than this.
This is one that may well find its audience when it hits streaming.
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What’s the story of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
The movie follows Nathan “Nate” McClusky (Taron Egerton) and his daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), on an emotional and terrifying road trip across New Mexico as Nate tries to escape his own past — or at least to protect his 11-year-old child from paying for his mistakes.
Along the way, driving a series of stolen cars from seedy motel to seedy motel, they take shocking risks, survive daunting threats, and become profoundly close.
Polly musters courage and insight well beyond her years, and Nate displays vulnerability and fortitude he didn’t know he had.
Who is in the cast of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
Taron Egerton as Nate McClusky
Ana Sophia Heger as Polly Huff
Rob Yang as John Park
Odessa A’zion as Charlotte
David Lyons as Jimmy
John Carroll Lynch as Houser
‘She Rides Shotgun’ opens in theaters on August 1st. Photo: Lionsgate.
(L to R) Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger star in ‘She Rides Shotgun’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger about their work on ‘She Rides Shotgun’, Egerton’s first reaction to the screenplay, Heger’s character’s relationship with her father, and what it was like for the two actors to work together on set.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Moviefone: To begin with, Taron, what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of your character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Taron Egerton: I was very moved by the screenplay, and I felt that these were two people that I felt that I knew and really cared about. So, when something that is that compulsively readable, but also feels real in a way that you believe they’re real people, that’s very compelling. It’s a compelling prospect to inhabit one of those roles. I love that he’s nothing like me. I love that he’s seems like one thing but is another. You know, it’s so often in life, there’s such a truth, I think, in life with where things will seem at first glance, unfriendly or unwelcoming in some way, and with a little bit of effort, a little bit of engagement, that’s quickly demonstrated to not be the case. That’s often my experience of the world anyway, and I love that Nate encapsulates that. He’s a man that when you first meet him, you assume who he is very quickly and some of those assumptions are probably well deserved, but the core of him, the heart of him, is good, and I love that about him.
MF: Ana, can you talk about Polly’s estranged relationship with her father, how that grows through the course of the film, and what it was like creating that relationship with Taron?
Ana Sophia Heger: Well, so in the beginning of the movie, you see that they obviously haven’t been together for five years, so they don’t really know each other. They must go through all these crazy things together that throughout the movie, they just start bonding. I just thought that was special and it was. It was easy bonding with him because he’s nice in real life.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, Taron, what was your experience like working with Ana on this movie?
TE: Look, we just connected very easily and very quickly, and I think we both felt it was very easy for us both to feel that the story was important. When it feels important, it feels like it’s no longer about you, it’s about the project. Then you gain a lot of energy for free. That’s the truth of it. It’s when the project feels more important than anything that you have going on, it all starts to happen very easily in my experience, or more easily. You just get a lot of free energy. I think we both really cared about Nate and Polly’s story, and we wanted to really do it justice and although they’re not real people, they felt real to us. We wanted to do the best job we could playing them. So, I think the abundant emotion in the piece came quite readily in this situation and that’s not always the case.
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What is the plot of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
Nate (Taron Egerton) tries to make a fresh start after his release from jail. However, he is forced to go on the run from his enemies with his daughter Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), who has grown up without him.
Who is in the cast of ‘She Rides Shotgun’?
Taron Egerton as Nate
Ana Sophia Heger as Polly
Rob Yang as Josh Park
John Carroll Lynch as Houser
Odessa A’zion as Charlotte
David Lyons as Jimmy
‘She Rides Shotgun’ opens in theaters on August 1st. Photo: Lionsgate.
Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘DIablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Adkins about his work on ‘Diablo’, creating the story with Marko Zaror, his role as a producer on the project, the short shooting schedule, his character, working with actress Alana De La Rossa, executing the action sequences, what he learned from working on ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’, why he’s happy the Oscars will soon offer a stunt award, and what it was like working with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on next year’s ‘The RIP’.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video above to watch our interview.
Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘DIablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how this project came together and your roles as an actor, co-writer and producer on the film?
Scott Adkins: I was working on ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ with Marko Zaror. We spent a lot of time together because we’re good friends anyway and we started talking about a potential movie that we could star in together. We came up with this idea and then we got Ernesto (Díaz Espinoza) involved, who’s the director, and he does a lot of films with Marko in Chile. So, the three of us came up with a story and then we brought in Matt Samson and developed the story some more and got him to write it. My manager, Craig Baumgarten, also produces movies. So, we took it to him. He took it to some people like Clay Epstein, and we found a place to shoot it in Colombia because we wanted it to be in South America. Originally, we were thinking Chile. So, we ended up in Colombia shooting it with a great production team. We got a lot of support and had a fantastic stunt team behind us that really wanted to work with me and Marko because they’re not used to doing as much fight-based stuff. But we got some great stunts in there like car hits and high falls and all the rest of it. They were fantastic. We ended up with an amazing actress, Alana (De La Rossa), who’s Colombian, and she’s the heart of the movie. It’s a great cast. We didn’t have a lot of time to shoot it, but we’re very happy with the result.
MF: Is being a producer on projects you appear in something you want to pursue moving forward?
SA: Honestly, it’s a massive headache that I could do without. I’m a creative producer. I like to create my projects. But when it comes to dealing with the banks, the finance and the day in day out of dealing with all of that … Ignorance is bliss. I’d rather not know what’s going on behind the scenes because sometimes it’s stressful. So really, I’m a creative producer. But it’s nice to be in a position where if there is a problem and something needs to be addressed, I can pull the producer card out and go, “Hang on a second.”
Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘DIablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: How would you describe your character Kris Chaney, and did he change from development to production?
SA: Well, honestly, as simple as it sounds, me and Marko were just riffing on an idea of ‘No Country for Old Men’ and how we could do our version, where I’m like Josh Brolin and he’s Javier Bardem. You can see that now. You see the movie and you’d understand where I’m coming from. We just wanted a chase movie where I’m pursuing him, he’s pursuing me, and what is it? Is it a bag of money? We ended up coming up with the idea for it to be the girl, and everything came from there. As far as my character goes, he is a bit of a blank page, and you learn about my character through the eyes of Elisa. The audience learns about me the way that the story goes, as she does. So, the film’s very much from her perspective. That’s where we went with it. I think the film’s got a lot of heart and really, we were very lucky to get Alana to play the part. Without her being such an amazing actress, it would not be what it is.
MF: Did you have time to rehearse with actress Alana De La Rossa or did you have to dive right in due to a short production schedule?
SA: Well, this is it. She doesn’t know me, so we didn’t need a bond. But we did get some rehearsal time and she quickly proved that she was the best actor in the room. So, I was like, “Okay. Just do that.” But there’s not a lot of backstories because to do that, the way the story is, it would be too expositional. We just got to talk about it and it’s just a lot of talking. It’s more about who these characters are and how they relate to one another on the journey that they’re on. We discussed having some flashbacks to flesh out the backstory, but we just felt it didn’t need it. These characters, that’s who they are. This is the situation they’re in, and this is the journey they’re going on.
(L to R) Alanna De La Rossa as “Elisa” and Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” in the action film ‘Diablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Does having a compressed shooting schedule give you a feeling of urgency on the set, and does that translate onto the screen in the action sequences?
SA: You can’t second-guess yourself. If you decide something, you’ve got to go with it because there’s no time to do anything different. You’ve got to hopefully turn up with a tight script that’s ready to shoot if you start making a lot of changes. You always do, but you don’t want to make too many. As far as the action goes, it must be structured. There’s no room for rehearsal, there’s no room for improvisation. Marko designed the action, and it’s pre-vised in a gym. It’s pre-vised in a gym when we’ve got time and we’re not spending as much money to do it. Then we get to the location and then time is money. So, you’ve just got to shoot those pieces, and you want to stick to the structure of what that is, really.
MF: Can you talk about coordinating and shooting the action sequences with Marko Zaror?
SA: We wanted it to be gritty and realistic, to a degree. We want to put a bit of flash in there sometimes, but we didn’t want people flying around on wires or doing somersaults because it would take away from the tone of the movie. It’s important to know what the tone of the film is and stick to it with the action. So, the camera work fits in with that. It’s got a high shutter frame rate and gives it that gritty ‘Saving Private Ryan’ feel. It’s important to us to just let the camera show the action and not just turn into an edited mess. We’re quite good at that. We know what we’re doing. The one thing we don’t have and that we need is time, especially with the action sequences, because it just takes time to get the various angles. You can always do better, but it’s knowing on a budget like this, that, “Okay, that’s the best we’re going to get. Can we live with it? Okay, let’s move on.” Because we want quality action, but we also want a lot of it. When you’ve only got 22 days to shoot the movie, you can’t have everything the way you want it. But me and Marko are obviously very used to doing that sort of stuff.
(L to R) Scott Adkins as “Kris Chaney” and Marko Zaror as “El Corvo” in the action film ‘Diablo’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Can you talk about how action sequences and fight scenes have changed since the ‘John Wick’ series, and having worked on that franchise yourself, do you feel pressure to enhance the action and fight scenes that you are involved with?
SA: Yeah, it’s got better and better. Hollywood’s got better at making actors without martial arts experience look like they have martial arts experience. So, you can’t get away with just being a badass and not really being able to act anymore because that can make Brad Pitt look like a badass these days. Fight-wise, it’s hard not to copy people. When somebody comes along like Gareth Evans and creates a new style, you want to lean into that, ‘John Wick’ comes along with that style, and you want to lean in. It is hard to reinvent the wheel, but sometimes guys do it. Then when it does happen, it’s hard not to copy them because anything less looks dated. I’m really impressed when people find a new style, which I can’t say that I’ve come across yet. It’d be interesting to see what the new style is, whatever that will be.
MF: As someone who works closely with the stunt team, how do you feel about the recent news that the Academy Awards are introducing a stunt category in the future?
SA: It’s about damn time. These guys put their lives on the line. Obviously, they try to be as safe as possible. But nobody ever died sewing a costume as far as I’m aware. So, I think it’s high time that it happened. I’ll be interested to see how they structure it, because there’s so many different facets of stunt work. I think maybe that’s why it hasn’t happened for a bit. But yeah, I’m looking forward to it and these guys, they deserve it.
MF: Finally, you also have ‘The RIP’ coming out next year with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. What was it like working with them and making that movie?
SA: Wow, what a thrill. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, incredible actors. Extremely smart guys. I played Ben’s brother in the movie. Joe Carnahan‘s the director. He wrote an incredible script. I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s just a thrill to be working with the caliber of talent that I was able to work with. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Editorial Note: Don Kaye conducted this interview and contributed to this article.
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What is the plot of ‘Diablo’?
After his release from prison, one man makes it his mission to right a terrible wrong by revealing a secret that could end his life. Scott Adkins stars as Kris Chaney, a warrior who seizes the daughter of a Colombian gangster to fulfill a noble promise to the young girl’s mother. When her father enlists both the criminal underworld and the terrifying psychotic killer El Corvo (Marko Zaror) to exact his revenge, Kris will need to draw upon everything he has ever learned — in and out of lockup — to stay alive and keep his word.
(L to R) Ana de Armas as Eve and Keanu Reeves as John Wick in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
The ‘John Wick‘ franchise has become one of the most popular action franchises of all time!
Starring Keanu Reeves, ‘John Wick’ and its three sequels have made more than $1 billion at the box office and has spawned a TV series, a documentary, and a new spinoff called ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina‘, which stars Ana de Armas, as well as Reeves reprising his iconic role.
In honor of the new movie, which opens in theaters on June 6th, Moviefone is counting down every ‘John Wick’ movie and TV show ever made, from non-lethal to most deadly.
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Larry D. Horricks.
Taking place during the events of ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
(L to R) Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry in ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.
Keanu Reeves in ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’. Photo: Lionsgate.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is forced out of retirement by a former associate looking to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to aid him, Wick travels to Rome and does battle against some of the world’s most dangerous killers.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’. Photo Credit: Murray Close.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Larry D. Horricks.
‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’ has shades of what made the previous ‘John Wick’ films great, especially in the second half, but suffers from a boring first half and tonal issues throughout. The first half meanders through exposition and trying too hard to fit into the ‘John Wick’ universe, while the second half succeeds in delivering the type of action sequences we expect from the franchise. Director Len Wiseman fails to inject the first half of the film with any urgency, and instead relies on the second half’s action sequences to sell the movie.
Not surprisingly, Ana de Armas shines in the action sequences, but her character’s backstory is muddled by the slow tone of the first half. We also are meant to follow her as she learns to become an assassin, but this becomes tedious as we want our hero in a ‘John Wick’ movie to be kicking butt and not getting her own butt kicked. The returning ‘Wick’ actors are all welcomed but not given much to do, except for Keanu Reeves in the second half, but even his character seems wasted in a way and brings into question how this movie fits into the larger ‘John Wick’ franchise timeline.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Ana de Armas as Eve and Director Len Wiseman in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Larry D. Horricks.
The film begins with a flashback revealing how a young Eve Macarro (Victoria Comte) watched as the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), a member of the High Table, murdered her father before she escaped, and was taken to the Director (Huston) by Winston Scott (McShane). Through an opening credits montage, we learn that Eve was trained by the Ruska Roma crime syndicate as both a ballet dancer and an assassin.
The story then picks up at the beginning of ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’, with de Armas now portraying Eve, as she watches the notorious John Wick (Reeves), a former member, now on the run, seek refuge from the Director. After a brief encounter between the two, Wick leaves and the story then jumps ahead several months. Eve is now working as an assassin but struggles with her first assignment. She soon discovers that her target has the same mark on his hand as the man who killed her father.
Looking for revenge, and against the orders of the Director, Eve searches to find Daniel Pine (Reedus), who is trying to protect his own daughter and is also being hunted by the group that killed Eve’s father. Eventually she discovers that the Chancellor is behind her father’s death, and she travels to the remote town of assassins that the Chancellor leads. However, to protect an alliance the Director has with the Chancellor, she hires John Wick to stop Eve from killing him, even if that means John must kill her himself.
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Larry D. Horricks.
I consider Len Wiseman a serviceable director having made decent films like the ‘Underworld’ franchise and ‘Live Free or Die Hard’, but he is by no means a great director, and hardly my first choice to take over the franchise from Chad Stahelski, who’s brilliant work with the action sequences set the tone for the entire franchise. Wiseman was clearly out of his depths working on a ‘John Wick’ spinoff, and the pacing, tone, and the uninspiring action sequences in the first half of the movie prove it.
But the second half of the film does deliver the fast-paced tone and vibrant action of the previous films, so how did that happen? Well, if rumors are true, Wiseman was replaced during production by producer and ‘John Wick’ director Chad Stahelski, who re-shot most of the movie, particularly the second half’s action sequences and the scenes with Reeves. If this is true, it would explain why the movie feels like two different films. It’s not as bad of a “Frankenstein assembled movie” as say, ‘Justice League’, but it is still quite glaring and I’m not sure why the studio didn’t just hire Stahelski in the first place?
While the tone and pacing are all over the place, and the story itself contradicts the timeline established in the previous movies, if Stahelski did reshoot half the film, it was well worth it and saved the movie from being a complete disaster to a decent action film that gets exceedingly better in the second half.
Cast and Performances
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Murray Close.
Taking over for real life ballerina Unity Phelan, who played Eve in a cameo in ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’, Ana de Armas brings a lot to the role. She is captivating on screen and brings true emotion to her character but is also fantastic in the action sequences. However, the poor pacing and confusing tone of the first half of the film does the actress no favors.
The concept of a ‘Ballerina’ movie, so I thought, was to establish a “Female John Wick” in this cinematic universe, but the first half of the film feels more like “Female John Wick Begins”, with the character still finding her way as an assassin. That might have worked in any other film, but this is a ‘John Wick’ movie, and if Eve is going to go up against “Baba Yaga” himself, I would have wanted the character to be a match in experience and fighting skills to Wick.
Once she does face off with Wick towards the film’s finale, she is able to go toe to toe with him, but that doesn’t exactly align with the character that was established earlier in the movie. But regardless, de Armas is a very strong actress, and despite the film’s shortcomings, carries the movie well, especially in the later action sequences. The character is a great addition to the franchise but will perhaps be better used in a supporting role in a possible ‘John Wick: Chapter 5’, rather than in her own series.
(L to R) Ana de Armas as Eve and Keanu Reeves as John Wick in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
It’s always great to see Keanu Reeves playing this character, but except for a cameo appearance in the beginning, he is not given much to do until the end. While the inclusion of his character was meant to bridge the gap between this film and the original series, it does take the audience’s attention away from Eve, and this really should be her story.
Reeves inclusion at the end also feels like a desperate move to link the films, and the timeline of how this happens might be confusing for some. My guess is that the end of ‘Ballerina’ takes place between the end of ‘Parabellum’ and the beginning of ‘Chapter 4’, but it’s hard to really know. Having previously worked together on ‘Knock Knock’ and ‘Exposed’, Reeves and de Armas do have strong chemistry together, which shows in their scenes.
As for the rest of the returning ‘Wick’ characters, none of them are given much to do. Anjelica Huston is good as the Director, but after the beginning of the movie, is relegated to “phone acting” in most of her subsequent scenes and the history of the character is never really explored.
(L to R) Ian McShane as Winston Scott and Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
The same could be said for Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, who is de-aged for his opening scene with a young Eve, and then not really revisited till the end of the movie. I would have liked the film to explore his connection to Eve more and have that play a bigger role in the story. But it was a treat to see the late great Lance Reddick return one more time as Winston’s right hand man Charon, even if his role is a glorified cameo.
Gabriel Byrne’s Chancellor fits well into the seedy world of ‘John Wick’ and is a strong advisory to Eve. The actor walks the thin line between generic bad guy and a real emotional and physical threat and does his best to overcome the script’s shortcomings. ‘The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus is also a good addition to the franchise, but his role was cut short, and I really would have liked it if the film had explored his character, relationship to his daughter, and encounter with Eve more. As it is, Reedus only has one scene but does the best he can with it.
Final Thoughts
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Murray Close.
In short, ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’ was not as bad as I feared, but not as good as I had hoped. While the first half is slow and does not feel like a ‘John Wick’ movie, the second half is more of what I expected, and is worth watching. But despite some great action sequences and strong performances from both de Armas and Reeves, the movie fails to truly resonate for ‘Wick’ fans and non-fans alike.
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What is the plot of ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’?
Taking place between the events of ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ and ‘Chapter 4’, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a ballerina-assassin, begins to train in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma and sets out to exact revenge for her father’s death.
Who is in the cast of ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’?
Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro
Anjelica Huston as the Director
Gabriel Byrne as the Chancellor
Ian McShane as Winston Scott
Lance Reddick as Charon
Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine
Keanu Reeves as John Wick
(L to R) Lance Reddick as Charon, Ian McShane as Winston Scott and Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Larry D. Horricks.
List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘John Wick’ Franchise:
(Right) Matthew Broderick in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ season 3. Photo: Patrick Harbron/Hulu. (Left) Alan Ruck in ‘Succession’ season 3. Photo: Macall B. Polay/ HBO.
Preview:
Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck are starring in ‘The Best Is Yet to Come.’
It’s a new comedy from director Jon Turteltaub.
Allan Loeb adapted the script from a French movie.
If you greet that news with, “what’s ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?’ then we applaud your youth, but castigate your taste in movies. If you know exactly what we’re talking about, then congratulations, and that sound you hear is your mortal form slowly turning to dust.
The movie starred Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara and Alan Ruck in the story of cheeky, scheming high schooler Ferris (Broderick) who tires of finding ways to skip school only to stay home, and instead hatches a plan for a wild day of adventure and fun, bringing along girlfriend Sloane (Sara) and nervous best pal Cameron (Ruck).
Hughes’ movie has long been seen as among the best of its genre, and includes a variety of memorable scenes, soundtrack cues and even the sort of post-credits gag that predates Marvel and co. by decades.
Now two of the stars of that movie –– Broderick and Ruck –– are, per Deadline, reuniting to share the screen once more, albeit in very different roles.
(L to R) Alan Ruck and Matthew Broderick in ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
We say “new” comedy, though to put it strictly, this is a remake of a 2019 French comedy of the same name (though in French it’s ‘Le meilleur reste à venir’). That original movie was directed by Alexandre de La Patelliere and Matthieu Delaporte, and has already been remade once for German audiences.
Allan Loeb, who wrote ‘Collateral Beauty’ and ‘Just Go with It’ among others, is at work on an adaptation which would find Broderick and Ruck playing best friends who, through a colossal misunderstanding that creates a ticking clock, hop in a car to find the estranged son of one of them and also try to do all the things that life has prevented them from doing.
It’s a heady mix of terminal illness mistakes, old pals bonding and a road trip, so not a million miles away from Ferris and co., though tackling it through a very different lens.
Where else can we see Matthew Broderick?
Matthew Broderick in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ season 3. Photo: Patrick Harbron/Hulu.
While Ferris was far from his first role (Broderick had already appeared in the likes of ‘WarGames’ and ‘Ladyhawke’), it was certainly a big break for him.
He’s since gone on to a lengthy career on screens big and small and stage, finding particular success with the theatre adaptation of Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers.’
Coming up, he has one of the main roles in director Simon Bird’s new comedy drama ‘Pretend I’m Not Here,’ which sees a couple in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II sheltering a Jewish perfume salesman.
What else has Alan Ruck worked on?
Alan Ruck in ‘Succession’ season 3. Photo: Macall B. Polay/ HBO.
Like his co-star, Ruck had been working before ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ but his part as the rich, panicky Cameron Frye certainly helped bring him wider attention.
Yet it can be argued that it’s on TV where Ruck has really shined, with notable roles in ‘Spin City’ and as privileged, misguided older sibling Connor Roy in ‘Succession.’
Director Joe Carnahan on the set of ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director and co-writer Joe Carnahan about his work on ‘Shadow Force’, developing the screenplay with co-writer Leon Chills, shooting the bank action sequence, Kyrah and Isaac’s relationship, working with Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, if Method Man’s Wu-Tang Clan reference was an improv, and the importance of Lionel Richie’s music to the film, as well as discussing his adaptation of ‘The A-Team’ and why Jon Hamm took an uncredited role.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Washington, Sy, director Joe Carnahan, and screenwriter Leon Chills.
Director Joe Carnahan talks ‘Shadow Force’.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about working with screenwriter Leon Chills and what were some of the elements that you wanted to add to his script?
Joe Carnahan: I think Leon had written such an interesting script. I think my perspective on it was to make it more about the nuclear family or this idea of these two people having to make this gut-wrenching choice of like, “Listen, I’m going to go out into the world and make sure that no one attacks you. You’re going to raise our son.” I think that in and of itself kind of opened the gates for all this wonderful drama and this interpersonal stuff with Omar and Kerry’s characters, and the tension and this forlorn notion of lost love or forsaken love or what have you, and then this event forcing them back together. I think that became the centrifuge, the family aspect of it that I think I brought to it. I think, again, a lot of these movies where they succeed when they’re good, it’s a very binary kind of emotional connections that the audience has developed because I think if they care deeply then they’re in. I still haven’t seen an elaborate visual effect that could beat it. There’s a moment where Kerry’s reunited with her son, and he has an action figure that looks like her. I remember looking around the test screening and everyone’s crying. I think once those things start happening and then you start to imperil and endanger those characters, there’s that much more of the buy-in and there’s that much more of the emotional investment from the audience. I think it’s not difficult to do, but it takes time to figure out how to hit those little keys and those little notes.
MF: Can you talk about shooting the action scenes, particularly the bank sequence?
JC: I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting if you shot the bank robbery from the point of view of the child, which is he can’t see any of this, so his dad’s telling him, “Close your eyes and cover your ears.” I just thought I’d never seen that. Listen, I’m not that smart. But I’ll think to myself oftentimes, “Have I seen it? No.” Sometimes that’s worth doing all by itself. If it’s a familiar thing, which is a bank robbery in a movie, audiences have seen tons of those. It’s how you execute it, and the fact that it stuck out to you. If I had shot it in a very traditional way, it may have not had the same impact, but because it’s from his point of view, it’s interesting. I think, I’m a father. I’ve got four kids; I’ve got two 10-year-old girls. I wouldn’t want them to see their father being violent, I’d want to shield them from that. So, I thought it was very cool the way we did that. It reminds you there’s this little kid in there. It’s tricky because the studio could have said, “It’s too much. You can’t put a kid in the middle of that,” but I thought the way we did it, we just were able to thread that needle. So, I was very happy with the way that came out.
(L to R) Omar Sy as Isaac and Kerry Washington as Kyrah in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Can you talk about the relationship between Kyrah and Isaac, the threat against them and what they are willing to do to protect their child?
JC: Well, listen, it’s that we always say, “I’d go to the ends of the earth for my kid,” or “I’d do anything for my child.” Then the idea that you would have to physically separate to be safe, to ensure that there’s this kind of huntress out there, which is Kerry’s character, which is kind of a non-traditional way of doing it. Like Omar being the maternal figure, raising their son, I thought was intriguing. Because we have this whole society where it’s like, how could you do that? Her character says that. “Why will it work? Because no one would believe I’d walk away from my son.” That’s why it’ll work. To me that’s gut-wrenching. I think Kerry’s so lovely in delivering that sentiment because she’s a mom and she knows what that means. So, it puts a lump in your throat because it’s coming from her, the part of her that’s a wonderful actor. Then there’s that part of her that’s a mom and that infusion is lovely in a tugging your heartstrings kind of way. But I just thought it was an unusual way to set that whole thing up.
MF: What was it like directing Kerry Washington and Omar Sy on set?
JC: I mean, listen, they’re both just angels. They’re both just wonderful. Omar is possessed of just this innate decency and kindness as a man. Then, I was in Paris after we wrapped and Omar came to have dinner with me and my girls at Beef Bar in Paris, and you want to see what fame looks like? I told my girls, “Watch this restaurant when Omar walks in.” It was crazier than anything I’d ever seen. So, you got this, and you see him in ‘Lupin’ and then you have Kerry, they both have such generosity of spirit and instant chemistry with one another. Also, I think this really abiding respect from one another and their craft as actors. I think once you get that you have this mutual admiration society as they had, it’s very easy to do your job, at least it was for me.
(L to R) Cliff “Method Man” Smith as Unc and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Auntie in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: In the film, Method Man’s character references the Wu-Tang Clan, was that line improvised?
JC: It was not. I decided I was going to have him say it and ask the kid if he likes Wu-Tang. Then I told Jahleel (Kamara) to say that line and if you see the film Method Man’s reaction is his actual reaction to hearing Jahleel say it. He just froze. It was great. What I love about Cliff is that meta part of it, his understanding of like, “Okay, I’m going to wink, wink, nudge, nudge the audience and go, ‘We’re talking about me.’” But he was not so precious about that. He was just lovely about it. It was great.
MF: Can you talk about the importance of Lionel Richie’s music to this film and how you chose the right songs to use?
JC: I mean, that’s my junior high slow dance song with Kelly Hines at Shepherd Elementary School in 1980. I’m such a Commodores and Lionel Richie fan. I just loved the idea that this little kid would be a Lionel Richie fanatic and a Commodores fanatic because I was as a kid. My mom had all those albums. You can’t find anybody that doesn’t love Lionel Richie, you know what I mean? It’s like you forget how great that band was, and that guy was. I just thought that was truly great, and the scene in the car where he knows all the lyrics and you realize it’s like that’s the wedding song. You’re playing our wedding song, which I just thought was great and kind of the way that gets set up and paid off I thought was lovely.
Jon Hamm in ‘The A-Team’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
MF: Finally, I’m a fan of your version of ‘The A-Team’ but I’ve always wanted to ask you, why did Jon Hamm make an appearance at the end of the movie? Were you setting him up to be the villain in a possible sequel?
JC: Yes, that’s exactly it, Jami. He was going to be the Lynch character in the sequel. That is why Jon Hamm is in ‘The A-Team’. I’ll tell you this quick, the head of Fox Marketing at the time, who shall remain unnamed, because got destroyed by ‘The Karate Kid’ remake. Three weeks after the film opens, he sees me in the Fox commissary and he gives me a big hug and says, “I screwed up.” But if I had a nickel for everybody that said, “I love that movie. When are you going to do a sequel, can you do a sequel?” Not now. They could never afford Liam (Neeson) and they certainly couldn’t afford Bradley (Cooper), but it was fun to make. I had a blast making it, man. It was great. I mean, Jon’s so lovely and so unassuming and so great. It would’ve been nice to be able to go take that into the next movie, but alas, who knows. You never know, man. With sequels, sometimes years pass and then everybody wants another one.
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What is the plot of ‘Shadow Force’?
Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force, but broke the rules by falling in love, and they go underground to protect their son (Jaheel Kamara) with the rest of the Shadow Force hot on their trail.
Kerry Washington as Kyrah in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Juan Pablo Gutierrez.
Pulling inspiration from ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ and the Roger Moore era James Bond movies, ‘Shadow Force’ is an entertaining enough action movie but struggles with cliché villains and a complicated third act that will leave viewers slightly puzzled.
Director Joe Carnahan has crafted some unique action sequences that are really the highlight of the movie, while Kerry Washington and Omar Sy give strong performances that help to try and create the heart of the film. But in the end the film fails to establish a cohesive story and the action, and the lead performances are not enough to overcome the script’s shortcomings.
Story and Direction
Director Joe Carnahan on the set of ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
The movie begins by introducing us to Isaac Sarr (Sy), a former member of s special forces group called Shadow Force, raising his young son Ky (Jahleel Kamara) in hiding. Ky’s mother, Kyrah Owens (Washington) is also a former member of Shadow Force, and the two broke ties with the group after they fell in love and she became pregnant with Ky, which was forbidden by the group’s leader, Jack Cinder (Strong). Kyrah has since gone underground to protect Isaac and Ky, so that she can confuse Cinder and keep her family safe.
Trouble begins when Isaac, who has hearing loss, protects Ky during an unexpected bank robbery, and Cinder becomes aware of their location, sending the remaining members of Shadow Force to eliminate Isaac and Ky. This leads Kyrah no choice but to step out of the shadows and return to protect her family, reuniting for the first time with Ky since he was born.
Meanwhile, Isaac and Kyrah’s former colleagues Auntie Clanter ( Randolph) and Marcus “Unc” Owens (Smith) are also on their trail, but do they want to help Kyrah and her family, or are they working for Cinder? What follows is a cat and mouse game that ends in a showdown between Kyrah and Cinder where all the characters’ true intentions are revealed.
(L to R) Natalia Reyes as Moriti, Mark Strong as Cinder and Sala Baker as Scath in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
With films like ‘Smokin’ Aces’, ‘The Grey’, ‘The A-Team’, and ‘Boss Level’ under his belt, Joe Carnahan has established himself as one of the best action directors working today, but except for ‘Smokin’ Aces’, Carnahan’s films usually fall apart in the third act and only feature flashy characters and great action sequences. Unfortunately, ‘Shadow Force’ is no different.
However, the movie is worth seeing for the director’s unique take on a bank robbery, as well as a chase sequence involving massive trucks, and the film’s final set piece, a very impressive boat chase. Co-written by Carnahan and screenwriter Leon Chills, you can tell that Chills original script was more of a character-driven story and that Carnahan’s contributions included the action sequences and the supporting characters and villains, that are not as fleshed out as much as the two main characters.
While it would have been a completely different movie, it would have been interesting to see Chills’ original screenplay produced, which would have focused more on the relationship between Kyrah and Isaac, and less of the convoluted spy thriller plot and the generic villains. Although Carnahan’s chaotic shooting style lends itself well to some of his past films, it does become a burden here, but his choice to tie the movie’s music, several beloved Lionel Richie songs, to the core plot works surprisingly well.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Kerry Washington as Kyrah and Jahleel Kamera as Ky in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
With the film drawing so heavily from ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’, it’s interesting to note that Kerry Washington was in that movie, but except for that, has not had a chance to do a lot of action in the past. Much like watching Viola Davis fight terrorists in the recent ‘Die Hard’ inspired ‘G20’, it was refreshing to see an actress of Washington’s caliber take on a role like this. But while she is strong in the action sequences, it’s the scenes when she’s with Sy, and especially reuniting with her son, where Washington shines the most.
While American audiences might not be as familiar with Omar Sy’s work as European audiences are thanks to the French series ‘Lupin’, he did excel in last year’s action movie ‘The Killer’, which was directed by the legendary John Woo. Sy is again great here, especially in the action sequences and has a very strong presence on screen. I also loved the way his character’s hearing loss is treated like a superpower (Not unlike Marvel’s Daredevil character who is name dropped in the film) and not a disability.
(L to R) Cliff “Method Man” Smith as Unc and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Auntie in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Cliff “Method Man” Smith add a good amount of humor to the film, but their characters are not given a lot to do, and the guessing game of their true intentions becomes trying by the film’s end. But Smith does have a funny moment with Jahlell Kamara, when Ky references the Wu-Tang Clan and Method Man breaks the fourth wall (He is a founding member of the seminal hip hop group in real life) after hearing the comment.
But the weak point of the movie is by far Mark Strong’s performance, as well as the rest of the very forgettable Shadow Force members. Strong, who is typically a very good actor, is clearly phoning this performance in for a paycheck and it shows. To be fair, the character is underwritten to begin with, but Strong does nothing to elevate Cinder from a typical mustache-twirling Bond villain.
Final Thoughts
Omar Sy as Isaac in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
‘Shadow Force’ is a flawed but still fun movie with some great action sequences and good performances from Washington and Sy but falls flat by the end. Carnahan’s vibey direction, the incredible set pieces, the Lionel Richie music and the main characters’ love story is not enough to make this a “rush out to the theaters to see it” movie. But I think it does have enough excitement to hold your attention on a Saturday afternoon once it is available to stream.
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What is the plot of ‘Shadow Force’?
Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force, but broke the rules by falling in love, and they go underground to protect their son (Jaheel Kamara) with the rest of the Shadow Force hot on their trail.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kerry Washington and Omar Sy about their work on ‘Shadow Force’, what audiences should expect from the movie, how Sy’s characters disability is really his superpower, what Washington’s character is willing to do to protect her family, shooting the incredible action sequences, and working with director Joe Carnahan.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Washington, Sy, director Joe Carnahan, and screenwriter Leon Chills.
Kerry Washington as Kyrah in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Juan Pablo Gutierrez.
Moviefone: To begin with, Kerry, as both an actress and a producer, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down right now in a theater to see this film, to prepare them for the action-packed theatrical experience they’re about to have?
Kerry Washington: I would say this film is so exciting because it is a big splashy action drama, but at its center, at the heart of the film, is this family story. It’s about love, it’s about sacrifice, and it’s about doing whatever it takes to protect the people you love the most. So, it really is a beautifully balanced film and a great film to see with the people you love most.
Omar Sy stars in ‘Shadow Force’.
MF: Omar, your character has hearing loss, but he considers his disability to be a superpower, can you talk about that and your approach to playing Isaac?
Omar Sy: I love that. I love that because I’m always saying that these movies, it has so many things to say about the family, about that, and even about people. To give that message that sometimes we have our specificities, we have something that we have, it’s our own, and even a disability can sometimes help you to work somewhere else and be stronger somewhere else. So, it is his superpower, like he’s described, not hearing gives him more focus on other things. They can feel more, so I like the idea, and then the thing for me was to approach that, it was a slow-mo. I was just breathing a lot and feel like everything. Like he says, everything slows down when you don’t hear. You can have your own rhythm and then you connect to Bruce Lee. He says, “It’s smooth. Smooth is fast.” So, you slow down and you’re going to get speed, so I was a little bit Bruce Lee in my head.
(L to R) Kerry Washington as Kyrah and Jahleel Kamera as Ky in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Kerry, can you talk about Kyrah and Isaac’s relationship, the threat against them and what she’s willing to do to protect her family and her child?
KW: I really liked the relationship between Isaac and Kyrah because they’re obviously estranged lovers and they’re dealing with that estrangement, with what it means to be separated and to have been apart. There’s a lot of misunderstanding between them, so the fight scenes between Omar and I were fun because it was like a couple trying to figure each other out. The fight scene was like a dialogue, and we were remembering each other’s fight styles, just remembering each other’s hearts, so it was fun to think about how a couple who are both killers, how they love each other and how they communicate.
Omar Sy as Isaac in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Omar, can you talk about preparing for the action sequences and which scene was the most challenging for you to execute?
OS: Well, the boat (scene) because it was the end of the shooting. It was moving a lot and that was more exciting, but also, I think the most difficult because the balance is different. On the ground you know exactly what you do. On the boat, it’s also the boat moving, and you must find your balance on that. That was a little bit different and more challenging, but it was also the most exciting.
Director Joe Carnahan on the set of ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, Kerry, can you talk about shooting the action sequences and what was your experience like working with director Joe Carnahan?
KW: Well, it was fun. If you’re going to do badass action sequences, you want to be with a guy like Joe who is living it. Every take he’s screaming louder than we are. He’s just so into it, so passionate, and he loves it. For me, you want to work with somebody who’s most passionate about the area that you’re working in, and so I think he really pushed both of us, our stunt team, everybody, to really go beyond our comfort zone to try to find some extra magic.
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What is the plot of ‘Shadow Force’?
Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force, but broke the rules by falling in love, and they go underground to protect their son (Jaheel Kamara) with the rest of the Shadow Force hot on their trail.
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Something bad happened to Agnes (Eva Victor). But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. When a beloved friend visits on the brink of a major milestone, Agnes starts to realize just how stuck she’s been, and begins to work through how to move forward.
Scarlett Johansson as skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Five years after the events of ‘Jurassic World Dominion‘, covert operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.
Superman (David Corenswet), a cub reporter in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Bad Guys 2’, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Newly released from prison and marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate (Taron Egerton) must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sphia Heger), at all costs. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive — and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means.
(L to R) Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Years after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) endured an identity crisis, Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover lightning might indeed strike twice.
(L to R) Mel Jarnson as “Brooke,” Jamie Campbell Bower as “Alexander Babtiste,” Madison Iseman as “Emily,” and Aaron Dominguez as “Christian” in the Horror film ‘Witchboard’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
Emily (Madison Iseman) and her fiancé Christian (Aaron Dominguez) discover a mysterious Wiccan artifact as they prepare to open a bistro in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A darkness descends over Emily as she becomes obsessed with the board’s power of divination and ability to summon spirits, and Christian seeks the help of Alexander Babtiste (Jamie Campbell Bower), a mysterious occult expert who’s hiding secrets of his own.
Peter Dinklage as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
A horrible toxic accident transforms downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) into a new evolution of hero: The Toxic Avenger.
