Shadow Force took a beating this weekend from critics and came up short at the box office.
The Lionsgate action film starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy opened in 2,170 locations across the U.S. and Canada, but only earned an estimated $2 million in ticket sales, Comscore reported Sunday.
On average, the star-studded thriller rang up just $929 per theater.
The film comes from writer-director Joe Carnahan. Various reports put the production budget somewhere between $40 million and $60 million. Regardless, the $2 million opening is a disappointment, considering the cost to make then market the movie.
The storyline follows Kyrah (Washington) and Isaac (Sy), who once led a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. The two broke the rules by falling in love and having a child. Now, with a bounty on their heads, and the vengeful Shadow Force in pursuit, the family’s fight becomes an all-out war.
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The cast also includes Mark Strong, as a vengeful spymaster, alongside Ed Quinn, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Jahleel Kamara.
Washington served as a producer and said on the red carpet she played a key role in the casting.
Audiences gave the film a “B” CinemaScore in exit polling, but critics weren’t as kind.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the thriller has a 32 percent score on a scale of 100. Of the 22 reviews posted to the site, most were negative.
Carla Hay of Culture Mix wrote, “That sound you might hear when watching Shadow Force is the groan of disappointment that so many talented stars signed up for this awful action flick.”
Peter Debruge of Variety described the film as “simplistic and improbable.”
Barry Hertz of Globe and Mail said the thriller “deserves to be buried deep inside any random streaming service’s catalogue.”
Although Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics was more upbeat and praised “the passionate chemistry between Washington and Sy.”
Shadow Force opened at No. 6 at the box office.
Far, far ahead… Marvel’s Thunderbolts* held onto the top spot after taking in another $33.1 million between Friday and Sunday. In two weekends, the film’s domestic total is now at $128.4 million.
Sinners continued its strong run and held onto second place after earning another $21.1 million. The Ryan Coogler film has now crossed the $200 million mark. It currently has a domestic tally of $214.4 million after four weekends.
In the number 3 spot, A Minecraft Movie earned $7.9 million in its sixth weekend. The film’s domestic total through Sunday was $408.9 million after six weekends.
The Accountant 2 was fourth with $6 million in its third weekend.
Clown in a Cornfield opened in fifth place with $3.6 million. The slasher film played in 2,277 locations and earned a per theater average of $1,603, Comscore reported.
The horror movie from director Eli Craig stars Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, and Vincent Muller.
The story centers on a fading midwestern town, where a clown named Frendo emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one victim at a time. Audiences were mixed and gave the movie a “C+” CinemaScore.
But critics handed it a strong 74 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus saying: “Its clever insights, subversion of expectations, and solid foundation help slash its way to the top.”
Below is this weekend’s box office chart from Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian:
Check out our exclusive @Comscore @csMoviesUS @CSGlobalMovies weekend box office chart! Congrats to @IFC Films and @RLJEfilms / @Shudder on the 5th place debut of #ClownInACornfield giving IFC their biggest opening weekend ever! An eclectic mix of newcomers join front runners… pic.twitter.com/WFtF9q2AKo
— Paul Dergarabedian (@PDergarabedian) May 11, 2025
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