

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.
Acting
Sam Jackson doing what he was born to do: being unhinged.
Writing
Shaft Sr. roasting his son's almond milk lifestyle never gets old.

Director
Tim Story
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Richard Roundtree originated Shaft in 1971; this is his fifth appearance as the character, making this a literal grandfather of blaxploitation passing the torch.
The film deliberately weaponizes generational tension—Boomer machismo vs millennial sensitivity—as both punchline and genuine attempted commentary, with deeply mixed results.