'Night Shift' really knocked me out. I hesitate to call it a thriller, I suppose psychological drama is the more apt description, but it packs in more tension and suspense than 90% of today's Hollywood thrillers. I was hooked from the outset, and the film held me in its grip until the closing scene. Refreshingly set in a blue collar background, something Hollywood very rarely (if ever!) does anymore, it's a simple story of a nice guy/family man Pierre (Gerald Laroche) who moves to a new section of the factory he works at and begins the night shift. He tries to fit in with the small group of workers, but one of them Fred (Marc Barbe) relentlessly teases him and plays practical jokes. He tries to take this with good humour but Fred's "joking" escalates and becomes more vicious, and quickly crosses of into outright bullying and victimisation. Pierre tries every way to handle it but things go from bad to worse and he is driven close to madness. The situation is totally believable, and the performances by Laroche and Barbe are outstanding. I was really impressed by 'Night Shift' and highly recommend it. It's a brilliant and unpredictable movie.
