Shaft

Shaft has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Netflix, and in the UK on Netflix. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 1,890 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Samuel L. Jackson sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Shaft is worth clearing space for. Shaft does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. 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. Samuel L. Jackson and Jessie T. Usher lead a cast that never overplays a joke. It was released in 2019. The timing in Shaft is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Shaft is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Samuel L. Jackson sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.