12 Hour Shift

Plot

Over the course of one 12-hour shift at an Arkansas hospital in 1999, a junkie nurse (Angela Bettis), her scheming cousin (Chloe Farnworth), and a group of black-market organ-trading criminals (Mick Foley, David Arquette, Dusty Warren) start a heist that could lead to their imminent demises.

Cast

Consistently demure Angela Bettis teams with David Arquette, while we get a small role from wrestling legend Mick Foley.

Verdict

12 Hour Shift was a recommendation, truth be told it would be way down the line when I would have watched this otherwise if at all.

A thriller rather than a horror it's a rather tame little number that stays within the lines and at no point becomes even remotely adventurous.

Bettis plays quite a different character than usual and I wasn't keen on that, nor was I keen on her character at all. In fact that's one of the biggest problems with the film, who am I supposed to be rooting for here? Not a decent person among them.

It plods along like if Lifetime made horror movies and managed to keep my attention just enough but not enough to make it memorable or to truly say I enjoyed it.

Very distinctly average stuff, not good, not bad, just 86 minutes of meh.

Rants

Is it wrong that I wanted to see more Foley in this? Truth be told his presence wasn't really needed after his scene but it was just nice to see him in this film despite very much playing a character it's hard to believe if you're familiar with the guy in real life. I'd welcome a sequel if only to have him as the antagonist. More Mick Foley is always going to be a good thing.

Breakdown + Chloe Farnworth was great here + David Arquette was believable in his role

• David Arquette's character had little impact
• Very mediocre overall
• Not enough Foley!

It's surely worth a watch. Not exactly the greatest bit of cinema but believe they really accomplished what they set out to make.

Actress Brea Grant doesn't have many notches on her belt for writing and directing, but wow did she make this dark horror comedy awesome!

The 86 min runtime was just right with the great pacing. The cinematography and score were excellent. The casting was perfect, especially with Angela Bettis' straight-faced character contrasted next to Chloe Farnworth's "dumb blonde" persona.

Her screenplay was solid - better than some films I've recently seen from seasoned filmmakers. The comedy was on point with many wtf and lol moments. The 80's style horror scenes were just right with great gore, and there were many thrills in the various multiple storylines intertwined perfectly.

Mad respect and props to Grant for pulling off this little gem. I'll be watching this one again with friends who haven't seen it. A well deserved 8/10 from me.

An interesting movie with an original style and good script... and the artists are very good specially the character by chloe

12 Hour Shift starts off slow and disjointed, but fires on all cylinders about 25 minutes in. The lead characters in the film aren't meant to be likable (heck, they all deal in organ trafficking!) - that's what we come to terms with, in those initial scenes. Along with the plot's overall absurdity. Things do get comically chaotic thereafter, with ample doses of blood-spilling. Bettis (as a nurse with drug addiction) remains a badass throughout, even when her supposed family members get involved in life-threatening situations.

It was Chloe Farnworth (as organ trafficker Regina), however, who wholly caught my attention. She is the epitome of sassy, psychotic, and mindless in the film; a little like Harley Quinn with a penchant for gore. Every scene featuring her is quirky, exciting, and comes with a surreal sense of humor. I'd love to see her get more work. The good thing with the humor in 12 Hour Shift is that it pops up when you least expect it to - Kit Williamson and Nikea Gamby-Turner earn some points in that department.

The climactic finale gets a little messy, with too many characters and the idiocy exponentially higher. 12 Hour Shift makes for a fun little watch to kick off the first weekend of Halloween month, especially if you'd want to keep things light yet bloody.