The China Brothers impress in this energetic sleepless night.
Synopsis: While working her first night shift at a remote motel, a woman begins to suspect that the property is haunted.
The presence of Lamorne Morris, perhaps best known as the beloved, quirky Winston Bishop in New Girl, early in Night Shift sets out expectations for something lighter, as does a lighthearted soundtrack and the knowing way in which the All Tucked Inn motel is treated. The weight of horror history, the spectre of the remote motel and the secrets it may hide all hang heavily over the introduction allowing Night Shift to play with those ideas. The clash between a more light-hearted cameo and plenty of lingering shots of spooky accessories provide an early sense of unease for the viewer, unsure if these nods hint at a parody or something more serious.
The film follows Gwen (Phoebe Tonkin) as she takes over from Morris’ Teddy to manage the motel for the night. From the outset, her nervous energy dominates, with the viewer joining her on every booming jump scare. Her nerves are soon compounded by the mysterious hotel happenings and a catalogue of troublesome guests. Tonkin’s energy is excellent throughout as Gwen presses on despite her palpable fear.
There is a sense that the China Brothers are having a huge amount of fun plotting their jumps and jolts. While this does fit the format of fairly generic extended moments of silence abruptly disrupted by a boom in the soundtrack or sudden appearance of a face there’s a sense of playfulness that makes it work. There is an escalation from these standard scares into something more serious as the film develops that feels well-earned and an excellent example of that tone control exerted throughout.
In using somewhat typical conventions to tell a more unconventional story, Night Shift stands out – the casting is excellent, with a particularly strong lead performance alongside memorable smaller roles which gives the film a strong grounding. The motel itself is given life as Gwen wanders around, completing circuits of it and the surrounding area. In keeping that location simple, they can better play with Gwen’s shifting perceptions and enhance that scare factor.
Like the film’s premise Night Shift‘s initial typical presentation cleverly hides something more nuanced and enjoyable.
3.5 out of 5 stars
scaredsheepless 