Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- witty
- propulsive
- action movie night
- franchise catch-up
What critics said
Critics broadly found the multigenerational action comedy entertaining in flashes but thin, outdated, and unable to keep its characters consistently interesting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Shaft Sr., John Shaft, and JJ Shaft operate together, making family legacy central to the film's sequel structure.
JJ's MIT-trained cybersecurity and FBI background clash with his father's leather-coated, weapon-oriented approach to Harlem's criminal underworld.
The film foregrounds the Shaft name, trademark leather coat, Harlem setting, and Richard Roundtree's returning presence as John Shaft Sr.
JJ's restrained analyst persona repeatedly collides with his father's swaggering methods and personal agenda.
Films like Shaft, and why
Shaft
shared action comedy tone, urban crime setting, hard-boiled detective traditions, and generational masculine banter
Shaft
shared urban crime action, legacy-character revival, and confrontational detective protagonist
The Other Guys
shared buddy action comedy, family conflict, criminal underworld, and irreverent humor
21 Jump Street
shared action comedy, crime investigation, abrasive police personas, and comic violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Tim Story
- Release Date
- 2019-06-14
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1929)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Jessie T. Usher
- Regina Hall
- Alexandra Shipp
- Richard Roundtree
- Jordan Preston Carter
- Nyah Marie Johnson
- Matt Lauria
- Titus Welliver
- Method Man
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Shaft about?
- An MIT-trained FBI analyst teams with his estranged, old-school father to investigate a friend's death amid Harlem's drug underworld.
- What is Shaft like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shaft as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Shaft violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Shaft as moderate.
- What did critics think of Shaft?
- Critics broadly found the multigenerational action comedy entertaining in flashes but thin, outdated, and unable to keep its characters consistently interesting.
- Which films are like Shaft?
- Films with a similar feel include Shaft, Shaft, The Other Guys, and 21 Jump Street.
- How long is Shaft?
- Shaft runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shaft?
- In United States, Shaft streams on YouTube TV.
