Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Ferlito

A mother and her stepson have a romantic relationship while working as contract killers, but soon they learn there is someone trying to hunt them down.

Flixster Users

41% liked it

5,572 ratings

Critics

20% liked it

56 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Lee Daniels

Release Date: September 9, 2005

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DVD Release Date: November 7, 2006

Stats: 1,222 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,222)


  • January 9, 2009
    This was certainly a film of odd pairings, Helen Mirran and Cuba Gooding Jr and then Joseph Gordon Levitt and Mo'Nique, but the strangest part of the film was the sexual content, which seemed to be just oddly placed here and there and didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the fi...( read more)lm.

    Despite the quality of some of the Actors here, this was a film that never quite reached the excitement we were planning on.
  • July 7, 2008
    If you would like to watch Cuba Gooding Jr. have sex with 60 year old Helen Mirren MANY TIMES then watch this movie.

    The unfortunate thing about this movie is that the story line is really really good. There's mystery, suspense, action, crime, and.... many interracial, incest...( read more)uous, "mature" sex scenes between Gooding and Mirren. You see nothing more than Cuba's butt, but the vivid act itself is awkward and embarassing.

    Cuba and Mirren also are very unconvincing as contract killers. However, the remaining cast which include Stephen Dorff and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, did exceptionally well.

    Watch if your curious, but it's unfortunate to see a good story ruined by pointless sex scenes. There are plenty of more intelligent ways of conveying love in a relationship between a mother and her stepson....it's just sick.....
  • March 21, 2008
    A very interesting film. A little disturbing.

    If it was anyone other then Helen Mirren as the lead, it might not have worked.
  • February 3, 2008
    Pending Review...

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  • February 1, 2008
    What a different type of film. Gooding isnt that great and is very strange
  • October 17, 2009
    Such a good movie! The acting, the storyline, the scenery... Everything's great, even though it has a lot of disturbing and graphic scenes, just to warn you. It apparently doesn't get very good reviews, but I definitely recommend it!
  • October 16, 2009
    Skip this movie & go see something else
  • September 28, 2009
    Renting this film was a bad choice. This film was outright dismal, and outrageously insane.
    Well if you want brainless, pointless action, senseless viloence, mysteriously akward moments, and hours of dreadful acting, then"Shadowboxer" is the perfect film for you.
    Not Reccomen...( read more)ded!
  • September 13, 2009
    Strange, strange movie. Mirren is the stepmother to Gooding's character and they are both hitmen. Dorff's character wants the both of them to kill his pregnant wife played by Vanessa Ferlito. When they are about to do so, she goes into labor and I'm pretty sure you can see where ...( read more)the rest of it will go. They help her out with the child and, yes, Dorff's character catches on that his wife is still alive and decides to find and kill them all, pretty much. What makes this film strange though is the sex scenes which are funny and they add nothing to the plot except for the one scene where Gooding shoots Mirren in the head once she reaches an orgasm. This was due to her dying wish since her character has cancer. I don't know what else to say about the film in it's favor because it's awful and would be best viewed with that in mind.
  • September 10, 2009
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Critic Reviews


July 28, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The movie at heart is just a wallow in ugliness and unpleasantness in the service of nothing. full review

View more Shadowboxer reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • CertifiedLozer
    March 20, 2007
    wow i cant believe no one posted a comment.....................This movie is so good, but it is sick ..................................thats raw

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  • Who directed "Shadowboxer" ?   Answer »
  • 2005 Film starring Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Stephen Dorff  Answer »

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