Netflix’s Day Shift is strangely more buddy comedy than it is vampire movie — and it has a lot of vampires.
For those who go into Day Shift looking for a movie filled with vampire fights, they won’t be disappointed. However, they might just be surprised by how much of it is a buddy comedy. Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco star as Bud and Seth respectively and they are a comedic duo to be reckoned with. The two are hilarious together, bringing a lot of laughter to what what would otherwise be just another monster movie.
That isn’t to say there aren’t some fun twists in this film, because there are. The thing is they all center around the relationship that Bud and Seth have — starting off as being forced to work with each other until the inevitable happens and they become friends.
Day Shift focuses on Bud, who was once kicked out of the vampire hunting union but is working hard to be let back in. With his family on the verge of moving out of state unless he comes up with some dough, he is let back in, but only on a trail basis. Saddled with by the book union rep Seth, Bud must let go of his ways of working alone.
The biggest issue with this movie is just how long it takes for Seth to come in to the picture. The set up might be somewhat necessary for viewers to understand the relationship that Bud has with his wife and daughter, however the beginning is a bit clunky and drawn out to the point where it gets, dare we say, boring. Luckily as soon as Franco arrives the buddy comedy aspect sets in and things get so much better.
This isn’t Foxx’s fault though, as he is clearly doing everything he can with the script he is given. The dialogue is messy and the choices unbelievable. Thankfully this can be looked past because of the action, which kicks off right from the start.
These vampires are not here to mess around, with acrobatics that will make viewers cringe (but in a good way). They don’t look all that great, as some of the effects could use work, but the fights are fun to watch, which is most important.
Snoop Dogg has a much bigger role than what was expected going into this movie, and he truly delivers. A complete badass when it comes to taking on these blood sucking monsters, he is the star whenever he is on screen. He even delivers some pretty sweet lines and of course, rocks that cowboy hat like no other.
As a fan of good villains — really good villains — Audrey is a bit of a disappointment. Everything about her is painfully obvious and she has no real twists surrounding her story. The script tries to set up for some big reveals, but it is clear from the moment she steps on screen what she is all about. Karla Souza does a good enough job, and this shouldn’t be blamed on her as it is an issue with the writing.
The very best parts about Day Shift are the times when Foxx and Franco share the screen. They truly deliver on the comedy and the action — which is all that viewers can ask for. They both clearly had fun with this one, and it is the saving grace of the entire film.
Day Shift is a combination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Shaun of the Dead. Delivering some pretty fun fights against the undead while also giving fans the buddy comedy they never asked for. With decent enough action, that might not always look perfect but is certainly entertaining, this is the perfect Friday night popcorn movie.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
NEXT: Prey Takes The Predator Franchise Back To Its Roots
About Day Shift
Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx) is a blue-collar dad hoping to provide a good life for his quick-witted daughter Paige (Zion Broadnax) and to stay in the good graces of his estranged wife Jocelyn (Meagan Good). His mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires.
Since being thrown out of the more lucrative international union of vampire hunters for code violations, Jablonski has been making a living selling fangs to black-market buyers like Troy (Peter Stormare). But when Jocelyn threatens to move Paige to Florida due to financial concerns, Bud has to make money fast and asks to be reinstated in the union with the help of his vampire hunting pal Big John (Snoop Dogg).
Hardass union boss Seeger (Eric Lange) agrees on the condition that Bud is babysat by nerdy union rep Seth (Dave Franco). But when Bud pisses off Audrey (Karla Souza), the most dangerous vampire in Southern California, she seeks vengeance on Bud and everyone in his world.
Day Shift was directed by J.J. Perry and produced by Shaun Redick and Yvette Yates Redick’s Impossible Dream Entertainment and 87eleven’s Chad Stahelski and Jason Spitz.
Day Shift drops on Netflix August 12th.
