Last Shift (2014)
Staci Layne Wilson
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Starring Juliana Harkavy, Jeremy S. Brock, Amanda Defrance, Matt Doman, Jason Fusco
Directed by Anthony DiBlasi
Transition can be scary. From one relationship to another, one job to the next… or from life to death. But evolution is inevitable. We go from one thing to the next; it’s inescapably embedded in our DNA. And that’s exactly what’s happening in Last Shift (aka Paymon The King of Hell), the newest horror movie from up-and-coming talent Anthony DiBlasi (whose first feature, Dread, based on a Clive Barker tale, is one I loved and still recommend).
Rookie officer Jessica Loren (Harkavy) has her first shift on the last night of a transitioning police station. Everyone and everything are gone, but she’s been assigned to just ride it out and wait for a crew picking up bio-hazard waste from the armory. It’s an exciting yet bittersweet time for Jessica. She’s shifting from civilian to cop, following in her father’s footsteps. Dear daddy died in the line of duty a year ago to the day… let’s hope Jessica isn’t literally following in his footsteps!
I could justly quip it up and say Last Shift is a horror hodgepodge of Assault on Precinct 13, Let’s Scare Jessica To Death, and Helter Skelter – but it’s more a straight-ahead psychological tale of terror. Then again, unlike old school haunt cinema, you see these evil entities in all their gory glory. Dripping with blood, oozing organs and brain matter, these specters aren’t exactly shy.
The movie is suspenseful and well-paced, and Harkavy is infinitely watchable – which is a good thing since much of the nature of the beast in a one-location thriller like this is watching our lead wander around in the dark asking, “Who’s out there?” and so on. Along with the murderous entities, a couple of people pop in and out of the precinct, but it’s mostly all her. DiBlasi and cowriter Scott Poiley have done a good job of creating a three-dimensional, fully realized character who must function and arc within a rather bleak setting. Harkavy is more than up to the task, and I expect we’ll be seeing more of her in the near future.
Ace cinematography by Austin F. Schmidt augments a stirring score by Adam Barber. It looks and sounds great. My only issue, and it’s a minor one, is that perhaps DiBlasi shouldn’t have worn quite so many hats… he also edited the film, and while the editing is technically flawless, I can’t help wonder if the writer-director didn’t fall in love with too many scenes. Even though running time is only an hour and a half, it feels like more than that — the movie is a good 10 to 12 minutes too long.
I’m not sure what the release plans are, but if you get the opportunity to see Last Shift on the big screen at a festival or in limited release, do it. It’s a good one!
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
