Day Shift review: Netflix’s vampire movie has some of the year’s best action

Films such as Red NoticeAnd Gray Man seemingly become the standard for big-budget, action-oriented “Netflix Originals,” the streaming giant’s recent output is frequently criticized as not much more than “movies by algorithm.” Netflix’s feature films have often been homogenized, four-quadrant content, specifically engineered to garner clicks based on a few recognizable stars, plus just enough CGI-smeared thrills to distract audiences from how bloated and uninspired nearly every aspect of these massive productions has been. Netflix’s vampire battling action movie Day ShiftFeels like an antithesis to that pattern.

It was designed to appeal to all genres, with Jamie Foxx at the front. However Day Shift’s peculiar blend of action, comedy, and horror doesn’t feel like a choice made with the intention of bringing in the widest possible audience. This film’s mixing of cinematic flavors harkens back to a time when big releases could have highly specific, off-kilter vibes, most likely aimed at a niche audience. It’s closer to an oddball cult classic like John Carpenter’s Little China is in Big Trouble than to other Netflix Originals, and it’s more interesting for it. It’s frustrating to see blockbuster movies all feeling the same in a landscape of big-budget films. Day ShiftIt stands out because of its clear view, evident swagger and decidedly old school approach.

Photo by Parrish Lewis/Netflix

These merits can be attributed to J.J. Perry, director. While this is his first time fully at the helm of a feature film, he’s no rookie at delivering top-notch mayhem on screen. He is almost unrivalled in Hollywood for his 30-year career as an action coordinator and stunt performer. So when the action design collective known as “87eleven,” (the group behind the John Wick franchise, and many of recent cinema’s best action sequences) decided it were going to proceed with Day ShiftAs its first film project 87eleven fully branded, Perry was contacted by the team to guide the vessel.

Perry’s interviews are a throwback back to when stuntmen were nearly California cowboys, bringing white-knuckle terror to film sets. That same “working-man grit meets LA shine” feeling that Perry embodies is all over Day Shift’s story of blue-collar monster slayer Bud Jablonski (Foxx). Bud disguises himself as a San Fernando Valley pool cleaner, to hide his real occupation: killing vampires for his local chapter of International Union of Vampire Hunters. The job helps him make ends meet and support his young daughter — it just happens to be incredibly dangerous. At his core, Bud is just a working schmo trying to get through the day, dealing with a boss who wants to see him unemployed, a partner he doesn’t want to deal with (Dave Franco), and unforeseen complications making his job more difficult, like a gentrifying elder bloodsucker (Karla Souza) who has plans to remake the Valley into a new vampire hot spot.

These are two examples of how to have fun: the low stakes, and the seamless interplay between the mundane and supernatural. Day Shift will remind savvy viewers of the many ’80s and ’90s video-store staples the film is so clearly a love letter to. The Lost Boys, Dead HeatAnd Night of Fear Each movie gets its own homages. The subtleties of some references will only appeal to the most dedicated movie geeks. Other shoutouts are animated, passionate ones.

Day Shift doesn’t live or die by these references and homages, though. Someone who has never seen the older films the script and directing nod to will still find a lot of quality subtle world-building that hints at where sequels (and spinoffs) could fit if there’s a suitable demand. Scriptwriters Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) and Tyler Tice handle this without falling into the all-too-common mentality of “saving it for a sequel,” which has stopped so many film franchises before they ever really began.

Photo: Andrew Cooper/Netflix

Tice and Hatten have never forgotten that even with all their world building and touching homages to one another, action movies need real people. They ground the wild proceedings in the tried-and-true “mismatched partners” formula that’s largely drifted out of favor. They place Bud in the role of the put-upon veteran forced to deal with Franco’s inexperienced pencil pusher turned field agent, Seth. Much of the film’s comedy comes from their pairing, and the two men have an easygoing chemistry that helps make their banter feel natural rather than overly clever.

The script also takes the time to give every major player in the film, even Karla Souza’s villainous vampire real-estate broker, brief moments that humanize them. The film’s character moments (big and small) keep it engaging even though there is a loss of coherence in the third act to set up the necessary action finale.

The way is the best example of action Day Shift has been expressly marketed via the John Wick name is a guaranteed draw, and action fans lured in by the connection will be rewarded with some of 2022’s finest action sequences. The 87eleven crew is well-known for its extensive collaboration with leading actors in order to make them look as skilled onscreen as their veteran stunt performers. (See the 2021 “Bob Odenkirk as badass assassin” crowd-pleaser No oneThis is a great example. This is the same magic they use here. Day Shift Jamie Foxx has plenty to do, including a lot of punching scenes where he can slice and shootgun his way through supernatural enemies. This also offers Dave Franco (and Snoop Dogg) the opportunity to demonstrate their action-hero abilities. It’s a delight to see actors not normally known for their physicality mix it up on screen so convincingly.

Perry’s action sensibilities have always been a bit more freewheeling than those of his 87eleven colleagues, and it shows in the ways Day Shift Looks different depending on No one The John Wick movies. This film shows his wilder impulses. Day Shift’s action has echoes of that “tacticool” Wick style, but the supernatural setting allows him to incorporate more exaggerated elements. This gives the many action scenes, like a jaw-dropping daytime group raid on a suburban vampire nest (featuring an extended show-stealing appearance by DTV action superstar Scott Adkins as a fellow vamp wrecker) a vibe that can best be summed up as “Sam Raimi meets Blade in a lucha libre wrestling battle royale.”

Image by Netflix

The chaos in this set-piece feels entirely fitting coming from a director who the stunt community lovingly nicknamed “Loco.” Best of all, none of the intricate fight scenes, intense shootouts, or wild car chases featured in the film are obscured by poor editing or unnecessary CGI. It’s all presented clearly, and fine-tuned for maximum visual impact. It’s a great return to the days when a film’s most valuable “movie magic” element was the fearless stunt performers risking life and limb to capture genuine thrills in front of a movie camera.

Day Shift’s place on Netflix means it will have a lot of competition for viewers’ attention, with the platform’s seemingly never-ending content stream always moving on to the next film or series without giving new releases much time in the spotlight. The film will also have to cope with the negative image that has been created by recent Netflix Original movies. Hopefully, these obstacles don’t keep the film’s potential audience from discovering it. Day ShiftIt’s a delight for movie fans, and is another example of how Netflix should make investments in unique, flavour-filled projects.

Day ShiftYou can stream Netflix right now