Night Shift is a 2023 American horror film written and directed by Paul and Benjamin China, in their directorial debut. The film stars Phoebe Tonkin, Lamorne Morris and Madison Hu.[1][2]
Plot
While working her first night shift at a remote motel, a young woman, Gwen Taylor (Phoebe Tonkin), begins to suspect that she is being followed by a dangerous character from her past. As the night progresses, Gwen’s isolation and safety, however, are made all the worse when she starts to realize that the motel might also be haunted.
The film was shot in Los Angeles over 17 days during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Release
Night Shift had its world premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival in 2023,[3] where it won Best Genre Film. The film was released in the United States on March 8 by Quiver in limited theatrical and VOD.[4]
Reception
Night Shift received positive reviews, scoring a 77% fresh rating from critics and a 90% fresh rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.[5]
Michael Talbot-Haynes of Film Threat gave the film a score of 8.5 out of 10 stars, saying "Night Shift is an impeccably crafted, clever ghost infestation that has a lot going on under the sheets...as haunted hotel movies go, this is a first-class blood-bathing beauty."[6]
Morgan Muscat of Rue Morgue called the film "An impressive and ambitious debut...the China Brothers imbue their film with a healthy supply of atmosphere and intrinsic creepiness, productively exploiting their single location to effective potential."[7]
Caillou Pettis of The Movie Blog.com said "Night Shift ultimately stands as a testament to the China Brothers' ambition and creativity in the horror genre. It endeavors to offer something fresh, a hybrid of terror and mystery that melds into a truly memorable experience...it does boast a whopper of a twist ending that will leave you completely shocked...it's one of the most shocking twists in recent horror movie history."[8]
