PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Night Shift, directed by the China brothers (Crawl 2017), is a movie that made me think about things. It is very reality-based, and it’s a slow burn, but that’s a good thing. The movie kept my attention the entire time. When things hit the fan, they show a very real story. It’s an attack on your senses, waiting for the next move. I enjoyed it, despite a few gripes. Gripes aside, Night Shift is an interesting and new take-off of movies like Psycho (1960).
I say take-off, but it’s only loosely based on those types of movies. Night Shift has an original story built on paranoia and someone always wondering what happens next. That’s where it gets kudos from me; the acting was incredible. It made you believe this story throughout. The movie turned me off the idea of staying at a motel. It was the realism that got me. Let’s dig in to the core.
Synopsis
Gwen (Phoebe Tonkin, Babylon 2022) is on her first night of looking after a hotel. She is left alone to fend for herself with any issues. While patrolling the motel, Gwen has to keep her senses while being haunted by a group of ghosts. It becomes a night of survival for Gwen, who eventually joins forces with a tenant named Alice (Madison Hu, The Boogey Man 2023) who agrees to become a partner with Gwen throughout the night.
The motel is visited several times by a menacing car that slowly drives by all night. On top of being chased by ghosts, Gwen has to deal with two rude customers. As Gwen keeps watch over the area, she is looking for just one moment of silence. Will she survive the night or become a victim of the forces at work? You can never tell in this film.
Here’s a look at the poster art!
Digging In
Now I am going to dissect the film. Though. it’s a great film, story-wise, I am not a fan of jump scares at all. Night Shift delivered a lot of them. I always found jump scares to be an easy way out of the premise of movies.
My only gripe about the film is that it is pretty predictable in the idea of scare scenes. Though I am not a fan of jump scares, I creeped myself out several times, even when I was expecting it. I like being creeped out, so there’s a win.
The movie had a great sense of taste. Night Shift doesn’t have to have gore at all; it’s the new way of horror. More often than not, I am let down by movies that rely too much on reality because reality scares me the most.
In The End…
With all the jumps and scares aside, I love the creepy atmosphere. It’s favorable to a good story involved with these types of films. It may have been predictable, but as I said, the film kept my attention. It’s a fun little ride if you aren’t used to a certain horror genre. I love blood and gore. Give me a good Troma movie, and I will be satisfied. However, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this movie. I would easily watch it a few times.
I did love one scene toward the end. That’s what changed my mind about it. It made it worth the slow burn and was fantastic; even if they didn’t show the full scene, I loved Night Shift, and it was a great movie. I would. say that all things aside, there was a creepy feeling throughout, even with all the jump scares.
Night Shift is available to rent and own on digital platforms, including AppleTV, YouTube, and Google Play.
