First Shift

In a departure from high-profile blockbusters, this film presents a refreshingly grounded narrative that captivates through its sincerity and charm. The story centers on a seasoned New York detective who, despite his initial reluctance, is paired with a dynamic female officer recently transferred from Atlanta. This classic setup-where a grizzled veteran must adapt to a new partner-forms the backbone of the film's engaging plot.

While the storyline unfolds within the familiar confines of a New York detective thriller, it distinguishes itself through its focus on character development and realistic, heartfelt interactions. The film skillfully delves into the personal backgrounds of its characters, adding depth to their motivations and relationships. Although the antagonists may adhere to certain genre conventions and lack complexity, they serve their role effectively within the narrative.

Overall, the film succeeds in delivering an entertaining and emotionally resonant experience, despite its adherence to genre tropes. Its strength lies in its authentic portrayal of human connections and the understated charm of its characters, making it a worthwhile watch for those who appreciate a more nuanced approach to the detective genre.

Didn't expect to like it, but the movie has heart. It kept moving.

I understand the previous review's claim it was too slow, but it is a style.

Reminds me of the crime genre from yesteryear, sans the detective bent.

Would be great spun off into annual 3 or 6 episode BBC type miniseries.

Actors had good chemistry and situational dialogue was believable.

No spoilers, but I have a good iidea where the sequel is headed.

Enjoyable characters, felt like a pilot and went by fast.

With clever writing, the premise could go in many directions.

Wish I could tune back in next week.

Cross between Starsky and Hutch and Law And Order.

This movie takes 25 minutes to get to the first police action scene, a guy cutting the same part of his arm over and over again with a cleaver. I guess that was the only bleeder special effects they had? After 3-4 times chopping the same place I expected the hand to fall off.

Lots of cop-new-partner buddy talk. Really incredibly boring stuff. Lots of tracking shots of Gino Pesi walking around in his dark coat. Like John Wick, but without any shooting or fighting.

His co-star Detective Kristin Renton acted like she just came from MTV, and she had. She seemed about to start dancing at any point. Just totally no dynamics with the sour personality of Gino Pesi.

Into the movie are cut various scenes of unexplained guy and his girlfriend and son. At some point she wants to leave him because he is doing drugs. No explanation what the connection is to the main characters. Eventually at the end, we get a pretty disgusting murder scene, and the connection is just bombed into the movie.

Halfway in, an old guy (Willie C. Carpenter) has a seizure at a grocery store, and Pesi sees him at the hospital, and the old man asks him to find his dog. Pesi goes back to the grocery store and finds the dog.

The scenes with the dog, Pesi, and Renton are by far the best scenes in this movie. The dog is really friendly and reacts to Pesi better than his partner Renton does. They made the movie a lot better by putting the dog into it. The dog was the only actor that had chemistry with Pesi.

It's a trifecta... poorly written, poorly acted and poorly directed. A possible career ender for all involved. From its nonsensical plot to the painfully wooden performances, this movie is a masterclass in cinematic mediocrity, leaving viewers with a profound sense of wasted time and a yearning for something, anything, to engage with on screen.

The narrative, if you can call it that, is a jumbled mess of poorly connected subplots that seem to have been thrown together haphazardly. Characters are introduced with no apparent purpose, their motivations unclear, and their arcs abruptly truncated without any satisfying resolution. The story attempts to tackle themes of love, loss, and redemption, but falls flat at every turn, leaving the audience bewildered and questioning if they missed some crucial piece of the puzzle that never actually existed.

I hate when people write review in the stance that their view is the final view point . Sure you can say you did not like it but don't act like you are a Variety Critic. I thought the two main actors were very good and I like the flow of the film . The gradual connection between partners is true to life as I have had many work partners myself and it takes time to warm up to them and know they are competent and have your back. The side stories are spliced in well and seamlessly add to this short movie. Hope to see a part two like it says. Yes there are different viewers with differing reasons to like a movie. So don't be deterred by a narrow minded , self gratuitous review saying unwatchable.