RATING: B

ITN Pictures presents a Blue Harpy Films production. Directed by Alan Delabie and LM Chambat. Produced by LM Chambat and Theresa Kassa. Written by Alan Delabie. Cinematography and editing by LM Chambat.

Stars Alan Delabie, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Eric Roberts, Patrick Kilpatrick, Rochelle Ashana, Lee Arenberg, Louis DeStefano, Ewan Callaway, Bertrand Laplae, and Theresa Kassa 

Professional hitman Alex “The Shepherd” Lapierre has begun to question why exactly he has decided to make a living killing people. His job has resulted in the death of a dear friend, Tony, and his divorce from his wife, June. Alex has been working for Daniel Lewis for years, and with his next assignment, Alex has decided to finally retire after this last job. 

Alex is given a list of people to kill on behalf of Tania Edwards, a highly respected and powerful woman who has been embroiled in a major scandal. Alex must travel to France and eliminate all the targets. However, Alex soon realizes that someone is after him. Lukas, a member of a rival organization, has plans to stop The Shepherd and eliminate Mrs. Edwards on behalf of the mysterious Ghost. It soon becomes a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, and the question to be answered is who will come out on top.

The Shepherd Code released in 2024 was an indie action film that introduced the world to French martial artist and action star Alan Delabie. While there were flaws in the first film due to time and budget, the 2025 sequel The Shepherd Code: Road Back was a major improvement. While there were shades of learning about the backstory of Alex “The Shepherd” Lapierre, a hitman who finds himself back in the game. The time has finally come to learn more about Lapierre with this prequel to the two films.

Delabie once again shines in the role of Lapierre, who for years has become the best in the business under his mentor Lewis, reprised by kickboxing and B-movie legend Don “The Dragon” Wilson. However, it is clear the job has its consequences and is definitely not a James Bond-like story. Not unless you’re talking about Casino Royale or Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Yes, it’s one of those as Lapierre deals with the ramifications of his job resulting in the death of a friend and his impending divorce. 

Along with Wilson, Eric Roberts joins this installment in a cameo appearance as a shady lawyer willing to be Delabie’s divorce attorney while Lee Arenberg returns in his role of Chad, a member of the organization who is actually a traitor working for a rival hitman known as “The Ghost”. The Ghost has a few goons under his belt, including the very insane Luc, played by Gilles Nuytens, who has a fetish for violence. 

There’s also the task at hand in this installment. That is a list of people who ticked off the wrong person, in this case, Tania Edwards, played by Theresa Kassa. We get to see how a job would lead to the relationship that would start the franchise as a whole and it is clear that it is Delabie and Kassa’s chemistry that drives the emotional aspect of the film while we get to see Delabie in a fun training sequence where he delves in nunchaku, kickboxing, karate, and MMA all in a nice little package. We finally get to see him take on the likes of Ewan Callaway, who served as the film’s fight choreographer. It’s somewhat akin to the 80s or 90s American martial arts action film and works well here. 

The Shepherd Code: Lapierre is a pretty good prequel to the franchise and Alan Delabie continues to shine in the role of the hitman extraordinaire. If you’re a fan of the franchise or even want to see how it begins, then check this one out.