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.
Chuck says:
Though it wants you the think otherwise, there’s nothing all that original in J.J. Perry’s “Day Shift,” a horror comedy that’s long on violence but short on logic. Jamie Foxx is Bud, a vampire hunter who’s in need of a serious cash infusion. Having kept his job a secret from his wife (Meagan Good), his marriage is on the rocks and she’s threatening to move far away with their daughter if he doesn’t start providing. Turns out, there’s big bucks paid for vampire fangs, so a huntin’ he goes, intent on killing every member of the undead that crosses his path.
Helming his first feature, Perry puts his stuntman experience to good use, staging elaborate fight sequences that, while they run too long, still manage to impress with their imaginative, blood-soaked choreography. Contributing to the fun is Dave Franco as Seth, a rep from the Vampire Killer’s Union, assigned to Bud to make sure he toes the line and follows procedure when it comes to all the staking and decapitating, he inflicts. The chemistry between the two leads is very amusing, while the cartoonish violence employed isn’t meant to be taken seriously. No, this is far from a classic but if you have a couple hours to fill, you could do worse than this Grand Guignol romp. A guilty pleasure. 2 1/2 Stars
Pam says:
“Day Shift” mixed with several shots of tequila makes this a party film! Take away the liquor and you’ve got a silly vampire slayer movie that will be forgotten as quickly as last night’s dinner menu. However, it was better than “Bullet Train,” a low bar, yet still a bar.
Within this summer throw-away movie are some stellar special effects that mesmerized me. Flawlessly executed, it was as if I was watching the horror version of Cirque de Soleil. Additionally, while the chemistry lacked between Fox, our main character, and Seth (Dave Franco), the pencil-pushing safety monitor who is thrust into this crazy unionized career of vampire hunting, Franco proves to be honing his comedic chops.
There are a few laughs along the way, and if you’ve got Netflix already, check it out after a long day’s work.
2 stars
