DVD/Digital Review - Last Shift (2014)

According to the horror movie handbook all decommissioned police stations MUST be manned solely by of the force experiencing either their first day on the job or indeed their last stint before retirement.

Despite its deceptive title Last Shift takes the rookie route as we nerve bag newbie Jessica Loren, played by Walking Dead actress Juliana Harkavy, as she is tasked with guarding the evidence room of a soon to be abandoned cop shop.

As she waits to be relieved by her inexplicably shouty boss the lights flicker the pipes groan and the horror cliches start piling up like paranormal Jenga blocks. Before long things escalate way beyond misogynistic graffiti from the other side and tramps in a piss trance and Jessica finds herself wading waist deep in the Mansonesque madness of a deranged murder cult from beyond the grave.

Director Anthony DiBlasi has carved a respectable career path based on solid horror comestibles such as Dread, Cassadaga and Missionary and has a sound relationships with the festival circuit not least Frightfest. He has a healthy respect for the work of his predecessors such as Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and harbours a palpable love of the genre. However the obvious influences on display during Late Shift hurt it more than help it.

Jaded horror viewers may well find it more fun to spot the tropes and platitudes than trying to unravel the unfolding mystery as films as diverse as Martyrs, Poltergeist, Shutter, and Assault on Precinct 13 to name but a few are invoked. This film may be as derivative as they come but manages to cast its net so far and wide that it never becomes a chore and indeed as the pace gathers and the shocks intensify Last Shift proves a relatively immersive experience.

Juliana Harkavy is by no means awful in the lead role but quite frankly neither is she strong enough to shoulder the entire weight of the picture something that is further exacerbated by unconvincing dialogue and frustratingly poor character choices.

The effects work is also uneven with some seriously spectacular design work being undermined by some truly terribly rendered murder photographs (you will know the ones as soon as you see them).

Where Last Shift does excel however is in atmosphere and imagery. The camerawork is expressive and inventive and roams the authentic location with artistic conviction picking out some genuinely startling reflections of terror along the way. The sound design is very effective with great mixing and makes the most of the various jump scares that serve to lift the film.

The main focus of the horror John Michael Paymon, played by Joshua Mikel from Nashville, is a beautifully realised and utterly revolting depiction of evil you will not forget in a hurry.

Overall Last Shift is far to derivative to be considered a classic but it is an entertaining and sometimes wild ride with a satisfying conclusion that will find a deserved home in many a horror collection.