FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE DAY SHIFT, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Day Shift is the directorial debut of stunt coordinator and martial arts expert J.J. Perry… and just like with John Wick, the first-time director takes his knowledge of stunt work and puts it on full display.  You can see the inspiration this horror comedy has taken from that Keanu Reeves-led franchise in every frame, as well as movies like Zombieland and From Dusk Till Dawn and even the video game series Grand Theft Auto.  But, even though there are a lot of comparisons you could make, Day Shift ends up being a creative blend of all of these properties and becomes its own unique beast, entirely.

WHAT IS DAY SHIFT ALL ABOUT?

Day Shift follows a hard-working, blue-collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted 8-year-old daughter. His mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires.

COULD THIS BE THE START OF A NEW FRANCHISE?

Though I was looking forward to Day Shift, I honestly did not have the highest hopes of it being anything too memorable.  Netflix hasn’t had the greatest track record this year, especially with genre fare… And I was pretty much expecting this to be just another throw-away end-of-summer schlockfest.  While you could call it a schlockfest, I believe Day Shift would wear that as a badge of honor… and throw-away, this most certainly is not.  J.J. Perry’s horror-action-comedy is a blast from start to finish. It could pave the way for a successful franchise for the streaming giant (which I would definitely love to see happen).

HOW ARE JAMIE FOXX & DAVE FRANCO?

Jamie Foxx seems to be having the time of his life in Day Shift.  It’s really amusing to get to see him let loose, show off his comedy chops and allow his unstoppable charm to lead the way.  We once again have Dave Franco in the role of “weak, whiny little boy”, but unlike his parts in 21 Jump Street and The Afterparty, his character Seth is totally loveable.  Foxx and Franco really bounce off of each other well; their banter provides much of the humor in the film, and it works.  Though you could call the comedy in Day Shift a bit juvenile and silly… I was laughing out loud throughout the film.  All of that is thanks to our two leads, who really create the dynamic screen duo that we never knew we needed.

DOES THIS FILM DELIVER ON THE ACTION?

But, what you’re really here for is the vampire carnage, right?  And oh boy, does Day Shift not disappoint in that department.  Director J.J. Perry uses his extensive background in stunt work to craft some gloriously entertaining action scenes that really wowed me.  The prosthetics and make-up design are top-notch, the fight choreography is excellent and the staging is inspired, the blood and gore effects are wonderfully abundant, and it’s all shot with such kinetic energy.  Let’s just say, that there is a scene with two fellow Russian hunters (played by Steve Howey and Scott Adkins) in a vampire nest that will probably go down as one of my favorite action set pieces of the year.

WILL IT APPEASE FANS OF THE VAMPIRE SUB-GENRE?

Just like in John Wick, Day Shift revolves around an underground society that secretly operates around the normal population and plays by its own rules.  But, instead of an organization of hitmen, we have vampire hunters here.  Though I must admit that this idea is starting to become a little oversaturated, it works in Day Shift’s favor.  There is also an abundance of ingenious ideas scattered throughout the film… That will delight any lover of the vampire sub-genre.  From garlic chewing tobacco and sunscreen that allows the undead time in the daylight to action scenes being shot in a mirror and a vampire fang black market… these little details really add to all of the fun there is to be had in this movie.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES HERE?

There are some gaping flaws in this film though, that must be addressed.  One obvious issue is that while Perry has proven to be a skilled action director, his storytelling needs some major work. Characters are introduced and then completely forgotten about, there are important plot progressions that seem to have been left on the cutting room floor, and a lot of the film feels rushed when it didn’t need to be… it just feels extremely sloppy, especially as the movie progresses in its later half. 

I was also disappointed with the underutilization of Snoop Dogg, who admittedly kills it in his role of Big John Elliot, but is given very little to do and not much time to shine.  And Karla Souza, who plays our lead villain, just lacks any screen presence or menace.  I enjoyed her in How To Get Away With Murder, but she was severely miscast here.

There are honestly a lot of things you could nitpick about Day Shift, but then again, why would you want to sit here harping on the negatives, when there is just so much to love?  You came for the vampire hunting action, silly comedy, and B-movie horror shenanigans… and Day Shift delivers all of that and more on a silver platter.  

Day Shift premieres on Netflix August 12th, 2022.

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