The Shift: Review

3rd December 2023

After being in a car accident, most people would have thought that Kevin Garner’s (Kristoffer Polaha) life was over. However, when he wakes up in an alleyway bruised and bloody, he starts to realise that his life is about the get much worse. Meeting a man who refers to himself as The Benefactor (Neal McDonough), he realises that the man before him may cause him even more trouble.

Knowing everything about him, The Benefactor makes Kevin an offer saying that in every reality there are different versions of him and they all work for him and he can make Kevin’s dreams come true. Considering Kevin is having marital and financial problems this may seem tempting to some, but Kevin’s faith has helped him to believe in a higher power and it isn’t the man sitting opposite him.

So, to teach him a lesson The Benefactor sends him on a journey to get back to his own reality so that he can see how cruel the world can be. A journey which changes Kevin’s life in many ways.

The Shift is a science fiction retelling of the story of Job, written and directed by Brock Heasley. Clearly aimed at a religious audience, Heasley attempts to adapt the book from the bible in order to appeal to a wider audience.

However, there comes a lot of baggage with doing that and it does indeed feel like the movie is preaching to the choir. Those unfamiliar with the book of Job may feel a little lost as well, but thankfully it’s approachable script can ease people into the story. For non-believers, it’s best to think of it as It’s a Wonderful Life meets Quantum Leap.

McDonough plays the part of the man with many names with the true menace it deserves. Making for a formidable devil no doubt due to his past experience of playing comic book villains. There are also a couple of other cameos from John Billingsley and Sean Astin which may bring out the inner nerd and with a little background it feels like they work suitably in their roles.

Just bear in mind that the film won’t convert anybody new any time soon.

Facebook

Google

Twitter

We hope you're enjoying BRWC. You should check us out on our social channels, subscribe to our newsletter, and tell your friends. BRWC is short for battleroyalewithcheese.