The Shift
Summary
The Shiftis flat and elbow room too long . author - manager Brock Heasley ( Flicker ) does his good to interpret the tale of Job , but his attempt at merging sci - fi and religion leave out the mug exclusively . The picture just can not make up one’s mind which of the two genres it will be from scene to scenery , and it shows . The lead performance by Kristoffer Polaha ( Jurassic World Dominion ) wo n’t gasconade anyone by , but it is solid enough to carry the film throughout its two hours of wander soliloquy .
When Kevin ( Polaha ) is ripped into another realness , he is approached by a man plainly bed asThe Benefactor ( Neal McDonough ) . The Benefactor excuse to him that the great unwashed can be swapped between dimension with their doppelgängers . At first , Kevin does n’t conceive him , but after The Benefactor uses a gimmick , called a deviator , to shift someone mighty in front of Kevin ’s optic , he understands how dire the situation is . The Benefactor ask Kevin to join him as a gearstick to switch the balance of society by budge key politicians and significant public figure out of power . Kevin refuse , insist he only want to get back to his wife , setting him and The Benefactor on a collision course .
The Shiftdoes not propose any recondite themes or sixth sense into its subject thing . The motion picture tries desperately to scare away us with the idea of a world without notion , but has neither the action nor dialogue to pull off such a feat . The aroused bet are disguise as a man fighting to see his wife again in a post - apocalyptic universe but does not entrust to either concept . At every turn , the script deviates to make a larger stage and always fails . The Shiftis a modern retelling of Job , but is too concerned with its secondary plots to do the news report any justice .
The filmmaking is quite competent , though , andThe Shiftis shoot with the seriousness of modern skill fabrication . The handheld photographic camera work brings an indie flare pass to a film with the concept of a tumid - scale epic , and the gritty sense works well in this world . The original earth Kevin comes from is in sharp focal point and well - light up , while the earth he drop most of the motion picture in is grainy and draped in dark . The look ofThe Shiftchanges with store and flashbacks , but it puts more effort into those mediums than differentiate between the earth Kevin cut across .
The performing is a mixed bag . On the one hand , the handwriting is full of on - the - nose negotiation that is not actor - friendly . On the other hand , though Polaha is a serviceable lead , he and the remainder of the cast are not open of moving the needle . Given the national matter , eye will roll at Sean Astin ’s Gabriel brandishing a pistol expression , “ I ’m always packing . ” pair with Kevin speaking his role as Job into existence , too often the dialogue is the film ’s imperfect element . Arrow’sMcDonough is as true as ever and act as the resister very well . He is easily the best performer inThe Shift , though he is doing something we have view him do meter and again .
The Shiftis a earmark movie at best and will do nothing for those who are uninterested in faith - based movie theatre . As a work of scientific discipline fable , it does little to make the audience conceive . In our current landscape of interdimensional storytelling , The Shiftsimply can not keep its own . Heasley ’s piece of work is admirable , and he is surely a good manager , but as far as writing break down , his latest offer is severely lacking .
Kristoffer Polaha in The Shift
The Shiftis in theaters December 1 . The cinema is 115 minutes long and give away PG-13 for fury and thematic elements .
Neal McDonough in The Shift
