Day Shift is an action-fantasy movie directed by debutant director J.J. Perry, released by Netflix on August 12, 2022. The movie revolves around a hardworking father named Bud Jablonski, who is on the verge of a breakdown due to financial troubles. He works as a pool cleaner, but his real job is a vampire hunter. He likes to take the fangs of his prey and sell them to make money. But things take a dark turn when he kills the daughter of the vampire leader who is based in Los Angeles.
The story begins with Bud working as a pool cleaner. When the pool owner leaves, Bud sneaks in and prepares his gun. He faces an old lady who turns out to be a vampire. It isn’t easy for Bud to defeat her, but after a lot of effort, he manages to overpower her and extract her fangs.
Bud takes the fangs to Troy’s pawnshop, but the price offered is too low, so he decides not to sell them. He sells his gun instead as he needs money. Bud then picks up his daughter, Paige, from school and takes her to his wife’s home. He realizes that his wife plan to move to Florida, so he contacts his old hunter friend, Big John.
Bud asks Big John to bring him back to the vampire hunter union. Though he was fired from the group earlier, he was accepted back, provided he works in the day and has a companion for his actions. Seth is assigned to be Bud’s companion, although he initially refuses.
Without wasting time, Bud immediately sets out to hunt down vampires with Seth’s support. Seth gets scared at first and wets his pants, but the next day, they go on another hunt and meet the Nazarian brothers. They cooperate to uncover the vampire nest in a house, and their efforts are immensely successful, with many vampire casualties.
Bud finds out that Seth has been assigned to record all his misdeeds, but after Bud tells Seth about his situation, Seth agrees to help him instead. Audrey, the leader of the vampires who seeks revenge for her daughter’s death, orders her gang to hunt Bud. At home, Bud is captured by Audrey and her men. He watches as his wife and daughter are held hostage by Audrey and then passes out.
Bud wakes up to find that Seth has turned into a vampire. In a quick reaction, Bud beheads Seth, but Seth turns out to be alive and tries to reattach his head. As Seth is now able to control himself, Bud takes him along to his house. Heather, Bud’s neighbor, turns out to be a vampire, but she is willing to help Bud.
After drinking blood, Seth regains his strength and is ready to use his new power. The three of them attack what they believe is the vampire’s headquarters to rescue Bud’s wife and daughter. In the face of danger, Big John arrives with his heavy-duty weapon. They scatter, with Big John sacrificing himself as the vampires attack him in numbers. Meanwhile, Seth and Heather face Klaus, Bud’s main enemy. Bud manages to enter the main room and confronts Audrey. It appears that Audrey is too powerful for Bud. How will Bud defeat the vampire leader, Audrey? Watch the movie to find out.
The movie is an action-packed thriller with a touch of amusement, but the story is somewhat predictable. Netflix has delivered some popular vampire-themed movies such as Blood Red Sky (2021), Night Teeth (2021), and Vampire vs. the Bronx (2020), and Day Shift follows a similar pattern but with some fresh inputs in the concept of vampire hunting. The business of selling vampire fangs with a price scale as per the class and rank of the victim adds a different level of interest in the plot. The movie has four different types of vampires, each with their strengths and weaknesses, which are documented and used as a guidebook for the vampire hunters in the union.
However, the movie has a few exciting moments with fantastic action scenes that stand out from the rest. The audience will undoubtedly enjoy the thrill and adventure of the fight between the vampire hunters and the vampires. The actors’ performances are engaging and convincing, with Jamie Foxx playing the lead role of Bud Jablonski. Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Meagan Good, and Karla Souza put in a credible performance as they portray their characters with conviction.
In conclusion, Day Shift is a movie that will attract viewers who are fans of vampire-themed movies. Although the plot is familiar, the movie has its moments of excitement with excellent action scenes and some fresh takes on vampire mythology. The movie’s cast consisting of some of the best actors in Hollywood adds to its vast appeal, making it a must-watch action flick.
