THE LAST SHIFT (2014)

[indianasmith]

I watch horror films pretty religiously.  It's my favorite genre, and as a result I am fairly jaded.
It takes a good deal to creep me out anymore, to be honest.  My taste runs the full gamut from classic slashers like FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN (originals, sequels, and remakes!) to low-key creepfests like ABSENTIA and full out mess with your head movies like JACOB'S LADDER and THE RING.  Some of these films have creeped me out a bit, but it's a rare film that really leaves me gasping and wondering how I will sleep that night.  Some of the ones in the past that had that effect were the original JEEPERS CREEPERS, THE RING, and MIRRORS.  But even though I've seen some pretty decent horror films this year, none of them really left me breathless.

Until tonight.

THE LAST SHIFT may well be the scariest movie I have ever seen.

The plotline is simple:  A year after her father was killed in the line of duty, Officer Jessica Loren has completed her police training and is ready for her fist night on the job.  The assignment is simple:  she must guard the old police station, which is being abandoned, overnight while waiting for the hazmat crew to come in and clean up the  mess in the evidence room.  It's not a great assignment, but she figures she'll use the time to study up on police procedure.

At first it's just minor things that go wrong - pipes that make too much noise, banging sounds from empty rooms.  Then a creepy homeless guy wanders in when her back is turned and starts trashing the place, and she arrests him and throws him in a holding cell.

Then the phone calls start.  A desperate, frightened girl named Monica is being held somewhere, and wants someone to come and rescue here before "They" come and kill her too.

Steadily building in intensity and creepiness, the last half hour of this movie is a full-out assault on the nervous system.  Jessica's nightmare becomes yours as you are trapped in an escalating situation with no way of knowing what is real and what is not.

THE LAST SHIFT. 

Check it out!   5/5

[indianasmith]

I watched this again tonight; it held up very well on a second viewing.

I love how this movie slowly builds an atmosphere of pure dread and fear and manages to never let up, and yet not run out of steam by the end.  The final scene is particularly effective.

If you are a horror movie buff, you really need to see this one.

[Alex]

Going to look out for this one at see if I can catch it at the weekend.

[Trevor]

This sounds a little like some of the plot of Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

[bob]

I watch horror films pretty religiously.  It's my favorite genre, and as a result I am fairly jaded.
It takes a good deal to creep me out anymore, to be honest.  My taste runs the full gamut from classic slashers like FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN (originals, sequels, and remakes!) to low-key creepfests like ABSENTIA and full out mess with your head movies like JACOB'S LADDER and THE RING.  Some of these films have creeped me out a bit, but it's a rare film that really leaves me gasping and wondering how I will sleep that night.  Some of the ones in the past that had that effect were the original JEEPERS CREEPERS, THE RING, and MIRRORS.  But even though I've seen some pretty decent horror films this year, none of them really left me breathless.

Until tonight.

THE LAST SHIFT may well be the scariest movie I have ever seen.

The plotline is simple:  A year after her father was killed in the line of duty, Officer Jessica Loren has completed her police training and is ready for her fist night on the job.  The assignment is simple:  she must guard the old police station, which is being abandoned, overnight while waiting for the hazmat crew to come in and clean up the  mess in the evidence room.  It's not a great assignment, but she figures she'll use the time to study up on police procedure.

At first it's just minor things that go wrong - pipes that make too much noise, banging sounds from empty rooms.  Then a creepy homeless guy wanders in when her back is turned and starts trashing the place, and she arrests him and throws him in a holding cell.

Then the phone calls start.  A desperate, frightened girl named Monica is being held somewhere, and wants someone to come and rescue here before "They" come and kill her too.

Steadily building in intensity and creepiness, the last half hour of this movie is a full-out assault on the nervous system.  Jessica's nightmare becomes yours as you are trapped in an escalating situation with no way of knowing what is real and what is not.

THE LAST SHIFT. 

Check it out!   5/5

what kind of cop is she 

[ulthar]

This sounds a little like some of the plot of Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[indianasmith]

I watch horror films pretty religiously.  It's my favorite genre, and as a result I am fairly jaded.
It takes a good deal to creep me out anymore, to be honest.  My taste runs the full gamut from classic slashers like FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN (originals, sequels, and remakes!) to low-key creepfests like ABSENTIA and full out mess with your head movies like JACOB'S LADDER and THE RING.  Some of these films have creeped me out a bit, but it's a rare film that really leaves me gasping and wondering how I will sleep that night.  Some of the ones in the past that had that effect were the original JEEPERS CREEPERS, THE RING, and MIRRORS.  But even though I've seen some pretty decent horror films this year, none of them really left me breathless.

Until tonight.

THE LAST SHIFT may well be the scariest movie I have ever seen.

The plotline is simple:  A year after her father was killed in the line of duty, Officer Jessica Loren has completed her police training and is ready for her fist night on the job.  The assignment is simple:  she must guard the old police station, which is being abandoned, overnight while waiting for the hazmat crew to come in and clean up the  mess in the evidence room.  It's not a great assignment, but she figures she'll use the time to study up on police procedure.

At first it's just minor things that go wrong - pipes that make too much noise, banging sounds from empty rooms.  Then a creepy homeless guy wanders in when her back is turned and starts trashing the place, and she arrests him and throws him in a holding cell.

Then the phone calls start.  A desperate, frightened girl named Monica is being held somewhere, and wants someone to come and rescue here before "They" come and kill her too.

Steadily building in intensity and creepiness, the last half hour of this movie is a full-out assault on the nervous system.  Jessica's nightmare becomes yours as you are trapped in an escalating situation with no way of knowing what is real and what is not.

THE LAST SHIFT. 

Check it out!   5/5

what kind of cop is she 

($(%*(*@!!! typos!!!

[indianasmith]

This sounds a little like some of the plot of Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

That's exactly what I was thinking.

The back of the DVD case made the same comparison, actually - "ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 with a supernatural twist" I think it said.

[Trevor]

This sounds a little like some of the plot of Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

That's exactly what I was thinking.

The back of the DVD case made the same comparison, actually - "ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 with a supernatural twist" I think it said.

So all I can say after that is "Anyone got a smoke?"