"Shadow Force" is an action film directed by Joe Carnahan, who unravels the complex life of a family entwined with its past in an elite assassination team. Main characters Kyrah and Isaac, played by Kerry Washington and Omar Sy respectively, are former assassins who decided to quit the game to live a family life. Now rogues, Kerry's character jousts with oncoming assassins while Isaac, who is deaf without his hearing aids, stays back home to protect their son. Their choice to abandon their dark past, however, brings about relentless pursuit from their old boss and a ruthless team of assassins.

The film tries to add some quirks to the plot: a family fondness for Lionel Richie's songs, a deaf dad who takes out his hearing aids to enhance his fighting senses, and a bit of humor injected into the dialogue. But after Isaac's identity is exposed via viral footage of him dispatching bank robbers, the couple must undertake a global race to protect their son from their pursuers including roles charmingly named "Auntie" (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) and "Unc" (Cliff "Method Man" Smith), who secretly plot to shield them.

Despite the charismatic performances of Washington and Sy, and a villain heralding grand gesticulations by Mark Strong, the film, aimed to be engrossing, might come off as a bit tiresome due to hackneyed writing. The plot progresses to a predictable and violence-laden confrontation featuring numerous twists and a high-speed chase, reminiscent of other spy-action genre classics like "James Bond" and "Mission: Impossible" films. Endowing their villain with a pompous demeanor, the film attempts to unsettle the viewer but might unintentionally induce ennui instead.