Last Shift

Last Shift

Starring Juliana Harkavy, Joshua Mikel, J. LaRose, Natalie Victoria

Directed by Anthony DiBlasi

The Story:
Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) is starting her first day on the job - as a police officer.  She's assigned to watch the old police headquarters at night alone, and wait for a HAZMAT team to come collect some bio hazardous waste, since its the last thing left in the headquarters, since everything else has been moved to the new building.

It seems like a quiet, boring night for Office Loren, but that's anything but true.  A deadly event took place at that building a year ago, and now the spirits left behind are tormenting Loren, causing her to lose sight of what is reality and what is in her mind - and what lies between.

The Synopsis:
There are literally hundreds of low-budget horror films out there, mostly because they're very easy to produce, doesn't require a lot of big-budget explosions or deep-seeded conflict, and can be done with any sort of camera.  Unfortunately, because of this, 95% of them turn out to be either completely boring or laugh-out-loud funny without any real scary moments.

"Last Shift" is not one of those films.  It was shot on a small budget, but you couldn't tell from the excellent camera work and practical, gory effects.  There's no lame CGI here, just traditional blood and guts.  The film takes place entirely inside the confines of the old police headquarters, and the filming is done in such a way that it adds a sense of dread and fear as you feel like an omniscient third person following the pained protagonist around.

Speaking of, Juliana Harkavy gives an excellent performance as Office Loren, and that's the most important aspect of this movie.  No matter how many jump scares there are (and there are a lot of them, yet they didn't feel forced or added in to gain effect, but rather it enhanced the experience), if you have a lead actor you don't care for, it won't be scary.  Harkavy adds deep dimensions to Officer Loren instead of just as a damsel in distress.  She took the job after her father died in the line of duty, and has a strong desire to make him proud, which is why she refuses to quit and run away.  As she walks the dimly lit corridors, you fully expect something to jump out at any moment, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The film doesn't have a lot of downtime, so you're constantly kept on your toes from frame to frame, expecting the unexpected and getting it in delicious, downright eerie ways. The story itself is compelling and holds parallels to Charles Mansion - plus a large dash of the supernatural.  The ending is strong with an exciting twist that envelops the entire story and places a nice little bow at the end.

The Summary:
With so many low-budget horror films out there, "Last Shift" is one that gets it right.

The Score: A-