DAY SHIFT
US, 2022, 113 minutes, Colour.
Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Meagan Good, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Tyler Souza, Scott Adkins, Snoop Dogg.
Directed by J.J.Perry.
Give this film five minutes, wait until Jamie Foxx has a confrontation with an elderly woman vampire, a hefty fight, confrontation, her contortions, and then you will know whether you want to continue watching.
Here is a Californian mythology (remembering Eddie Murphy in A Vampire in Brooklyn), many vampires in the San Fernando Valley, their chief, Audrey, working as a real estate agent, undercover, so to speak, with plans to buy up properties to house even more vampires!
And, part of the mythology, is an industrial union of vampire fighters. And we see them get to work, demolishing the vampires in spectacular fights throughout the film. Even British action star, Scott Adkins, has a cameo role.
At the centre of the film is Jamie Foxx, with difficulties in paying off his debts, alienated from his wife, Meagan Goode, loving his daughter. He actually tries to pull in some vampire teeth with a local broker, Peter Stormare, which leads to his being tracked by Audrey, whose daughter it was that he killed in the initial fight.
Fortunately Bud has a very good friend, John, an interesting presence by Snoop Dogg, tall and lanky and easy-going. He facilitates a financial deal, for Bud to go back to work as a hunter, but having the day shift. At which stage, enter Dave Franco as Seth, buttoned up suit and tie, knowledge of all the codes, sitting behind his desk, but sent out by the boss as supervising Bud. Seth begins as something of a nerd, manifests all kinds of difficulties as a geek, but, along with another woman they encounter, Heather, he becomes an Uber-vampire, all the characteristics of the vampire but on the side of good when they can!
So, a comic perspective on everything, a lot of confrontations with vampires, especially at an apartment where they just keep on coming and coming – and being killed and being killed.
But, love of family and saving family becomes important, Audrey kidnapping Bud’s wife and daughter, taking them to a subterranean world, an empire for the vampires, leading to a final confrontation, John prepared to give up his life for his friend, Heather and Seth becoming somewhat super heroic, and very happy ending for the family.
This is not a career move for Jamie Foxx, rather he seems to be enjoying himself.
Which is the aim of the whole film, directed by expert stunt director (John Wick films, Fast and Furious films), J.J.Perry with his first feature.
A Netflix entertainment for a night at home.
