by Jack Grimme, Contributing Writer
I, for the most part, am over vampires at this point in my life. I feel like the genre has been done to death, pun intended. Does this mean that I will automatically count a new film out if it is about vampires? Not necessarily. However, it does mean that there is a higher barrier to entry. I need the project to innovate to have any chance at having any lasting impact on the culture. The concept is perfectly displayed by the two main vampire-based releases we have had this year so far: Morbius and What We Do in the Shadows.The former is a bland, lifeless cash-grab that was almost exclusively watched ironically. Whereas What We Do in the Shadows proves that there are still clever avenues to explore unique stories with this setup. The show and the film use the mockumentary style to showcase the inherently silly aspects of vampire mythos. That brings us to today’s main topic, Day Shift. Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and company set out to make their mark on the genre with a violent, buddy cop style picture. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they were particularly successful.
Day Shift stars Foxx as Bud Jablonski, a highly capable vampire hunter devoted to earning enough money to support his family. Along the way he teams with Seth (Franco), a desk jockey with no field experience, and Big John Elliot (Snoop Dogg), a veteran vampire slayer. If the plot sounds a little basic, that’s because it is. But I will go into that a little later because I prefer to start with the positives!
One of the main positives for me is that the movie is quick and light. It moves from beat to beat in a way that doesn’t feel like time is being wasted. And even if you are uninterested in a particular moment, that is okay because the film won’t linger too long. Day Shift also doesn’t take itself too seriously. The characters are cracking jokes, and the setting is bright and lively. They weren’t aiming for an edgy or moody tone like Twilight, and I appreciated that. There are a handful funny moments. Foxx in particular had a few line deliveries that had me cracking up. Aside from that, there isn’t too much to say in the positive column. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the downsides. So hold on tight because I am going to kind of rip into this one.
This film’s main downfall is the complete lack of traits that set it apart from its peers. I mentioned that I believe a modern vampire film needs a twist to make it worthwhile. And for a moment, I thought Day Shift might have had something new to add to the genre. The film revolves around the idea of “vampire hunting” as a profession. There is an agency dedicated to it. There seems to be an underground market where hunters can sell the teeth to make some cash. There are even mentions of different breeds of vampires with unique attributes. There is undoubtedly potential with this approach. Instead of tapping into the potential, the film neglects the vampire lore and leaves the whole thing feeling half-baked. I will say that is not necessarily a death sentence. They could have spent their time exploring the different implications of living in a world alongside monsters. They don’t do that either. Every part of this movie feels cliché. You have the classic “Dad working to pay for his daughter’s tuition” story. That obviously comes with the “absent father trying to win back the significant other” trope. And this is all topped off with the classic “hard-boiled vet begrudgingly being paired with the nerdy office worker”. And let me make something very clear, Hollywood: if I have to hear one more villain mention the definition of insanity in their devious monologue, I will fully descend into madness. All jokes aside, my main point is that nothing here is new, and it shows.
That really is the main flaw of the film. And since the movie itself is relatively brief, I would like to match that energy with my review. So, I’ll quickly hop into a lightning round of my negatives and go to bed. Strangely, this film feels almost too pristine. I wish there was a bit more style to set it apart. If they could’ve matched the tone to the incredible wardrobe Foxx rocked throughout the film, we might have had something special. There are a handful of effects that are shockingly bad. I’m not one to rant on CGI because I have no experience in the field, and therefore don’t know what I am talking about. However, there are a handful of explosions in this film that seem like they were filmed using a Snapchat filter. This film had some cool action sequences, but even those were largely style over substance. Some of the moments looked cool on screen, but the decisions just don’t make sense. For example, most of the vampire assailants prefer to fold in half like gymnasts or hop around like Mario instead of attacking the people with enormous guns. Honestly, those are the only things that I can remember because most of this film faded from my mind the second I got off my couch. Unfortunately, Day Shift is mainly just another forgettable action feature to scroll past in Netflix’s vast catalogue.
Score: 4/10
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