Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- cool
- confrontational
- gritty
- action movie night
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the remake stylish and entertaining, with Samuel L. Jackson's charisma carrying a familiar crime thriller despite mixed overall execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Shaft pursues Walter Wade Jr. after Wade uses wealth and racist violence to evade accountability.
Shaft throws away his badge after the courts grant Wade bail and continues the investigation independently.
The film updates the 1970s Shaft character for contemporary New York while bringing back Richard Roundtree.
Shaft moves through New York police, bars, neighborhoods, and criminal networks while searching for the witness.
Films like Shaft, and why
Shaft
shared urban crime thriller framework, charismatic investigator, racial tension, and confrontational action
Super Fly
shared blaxploitation legacy, streetwise detective protagonist, funk-inflected cool, and revenge-driven crime narrative
Black and Blue
shared morally forceful black detective, institutional corruption, racial conflict, and gritty new york setting
Training Day
shared urban police thriller energy, criminal underworld, compromised institutions, and propulsive action
Movie Details
- Director
- John Singleton
- Release Date
- 2000-06-15
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (1511)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Vanessa Williams
- Jeffrey Wright
- Christian Bale
- Busta Rhymes
- Dan Hedaya
- Toni Collette
- Richard Roundtree
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson
- Josef Sommer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- 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?
- A defiant New York detective abandons compromised police procedure to pursue a racist killer protected by wealth and criminal muscle.
- 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?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Shaft as brutal.
- What did critics think of Shaft?
- Critics broadly found the remake stylish and entertaining, with Samuel L. Jackson's charisma carrying a familiar crime thriller despite mixed overall execution.
- Which films are like Shaft?
- Films with a similar feel include Shaft, Super Fly, Black and Blue, and Training Day.
- How long is Shaft?
- Shaft runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shaft?
- In United States, Shaft streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Starz Apple TV channel.
