Interview: Natalia Reyes on ‘Shadow Force’
Natalia Reyes is no stranger to the action genre.
She’s faced off against cyborgs in Terminator: Dark Fate, searched for fellow survivors in a post-apocalyptic world in Tomorrow Before After, and now steps into the world of covert operations and high-stakes warfare in Shadow Force, the new action thriller from director Joe Carnahan. Reyes plays Moriti, a razor-sharp member of the elite team that gives the film its title.
“My character is Moriti. She’s part of this special forces called the Shadow Force. She’s a very skilled and trained woman. She knows what she wants,” says Reyes. “I always try not to think of my characters as good or bad, so you could say she’s part of the bad or good ones.”
In the film, Shadow Force is hunting down Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy), two former operatives who went off-grid to protect their son. Moriti’s pursuit of them isn’t just professional, according to Reyes, it’s also personal. Members of the Shadow Force aren’t permitted to be in relationships or start a family, something Moriti finds incredibly frustrating, and so the fact that Kyrah and Isaac have started a family doesn’t sit right with her.
“[Everyone who sees the film] always asks, ‘Why does [your character] hate Kerry’s [character] so much? Why!?’ She trying to kill her! That’s not a spoiler, you’ll see it from the start,” Reyes says with a laugh. “We’re trying to find them because they fall in love, and I think that’s the thing that we are all lacking: love. We’re all wanting that. We all want to have a [relationship] and have a family like they did, but we can’t and they did. So that’s why we’re looking for them.”
Despite the explosions and hand-to-hand combat, Shadow Force is, at its core, a film about family, which is what drew Reyes to it.
“I think it’s all about the script. There are tons of action movies but when there’s a soul, a heart like Kerry’s or the story that is, in this case, about family and the little boy, it makes it special because it’s not just action,” she explains. “We’re premiering in May, on May 9th. It’s Mother’s Day weekend and I think it makes sense because it is a family movie. You can go with your mother and your family because you’re going to have fun. You’re going to be entertained. It’s an action movie, but you are also going to realize how important family is.”
Reyes also speaks highly of the experience on set, one led by a diverse, multicultural team and a powerhouse cast. “It was amazing. Joe [Carnahan], the director, he’s so experienced and he’s great,” she says. “He’s so much fun. He loves action, he’s great at doing action but also he’s just so relaxed and humble. And then Omar and his family, and the whole crew was so diverse and multicultural. It was amazing to be part of it with Da’Vine [Joy Randolph] and Method Man, I felt very lucky.”
But it was Kerry Washington, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, who left a lasting impression. “Just working with Kerry, not only as an actress but also being the producer of the film,” she gushes. “Having her with her kids and being a mother and being the producer and being the lead and doing all the things she does in her world is just amazing.”
As a Colombian actress, Reyes says choosing projects isn’t only about visibility, it’s also about range. “I think it’s also a very selfish thing, you know? I always try and think about my country and actresses and Latinas, but I like challenges and I like playing different roles,” she says. “I don’t like to play the same role over and over again. When I get the same projects over and over, I’m just like, ‘I’m going to create new stories,’ or find new ways of representing Latina.”
That includes characters like Moriti; ruthless, complex, and unapologetically skilled. “We can be a spy or the lead of an action movie, or we can be a doctor or a lawyer, whatever we want. So I think I just try and challenge myself, and play different roles.”
Shadow Force will be released in theaters this Friday, May 9.