The film starts smashing its smart sci-fi concept to smithereens by instead peddling some extremely inept faith-based propaganda your way.

| Feb 18, 2024

As silly revolutionary parables go, it's less ridiculous than Arnold Schwarzenegger leading Dweezil Zappa in an uprising against the host of Family Feud. Or Mel Gibson driving Scotland to capital F "freedom" before siring Edward III with Queen Isabella.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 25, 2024

This is a watchable sci-fi thriller, enlivened by strong performances and some nice ideas, but it fails to satisfy on a dramatic or emotional level

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 27, 2023

It’s all part of an alternate world Christianity so stylized it might make Christians cringe too.

| Dec 23, 2023

The ham-fisted attempts to drive the message home get in the way of some strong storytelling and solid performances by Polaha, Tabish and Sean Astin as a nonbeliever who starts to get swayed by Kevin’s remembered scripture passages.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 23, 2023

As a fan of the science fiction genre, I think the idea of a faithful man stuck in a faithless universe could have been a fascinating one. It is unfortunate that The Shift fails to give the audience enough reason to care about what happens.

| Dec 21, 2023

I am not sure what the actual multiverse idea has to do with the story except to add a dramatic shortcut to everything happening to Kevin.

| Dec 20, 2023

A faith-based story about about choices and sacrifices, believing in oneself to do the right thing, seeing the good in humanity even during the worst times, trusting the higher power, righting wrongs, and allowing others to live on their own free will.

| Dec 15, 2023

While the scale of The Shift is small -- you won’t find grandiose special effects or casts of thousands -- the directing is confident, the cinematography professional, and the pacing (for the most part) well done.

| Dec 14, 2023

Neal McDonough steals his scenes as The Benefactor, who can act kind and unkind in a second’s notice.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 14, 2023

The Shift works when the focus is on Kevin’s drive and what pushes him through the darkness. The genre elements feel familiar, and there is too much happening, but the humanity is there.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Dec 8, 2023

Goethe would roll over in his grave if he saw what became of his Faust in the hands of these right-wing evangelicals.

| Original Score: D | Dec 8, 2023

The Shift wants desperately to be a clever mix of sci-fi and faith-based teachings, but the end results are jumbled and messy. This disappointing drama taking place in a multiverse has too many poorly written scenes and characters without much depth.

| Dec 7, 2023

At nearly two hours, The Shift lacks the action, rhythm or cleverness to make the most of its sci-fi story and generally decent cast. Just a frustrating experience.

| Dec 3, 2023

The acting level and the unique plot promise more than average entertainment. The promise is mostly unmet.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 2, 2023

Dystopian yarn re-imagines Book of Job in flawed but fascinating ways.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 2, 2023

Heasley first made “The Shift” as a 21-minute short, and there’s just enough here to support a feature.

| Dec 2, 2023

Rambling incoherence about faith, choice, believing in Him, etc. An intriguing premise is reduced to feeling like a sci-fi channel pilot for a show I would never continue watching.

| Original Score: 1/5 | Dec 2, 2023

It has decent visual effects and acting, but this faith-based sci-fi drama struggles with an uneven screenplay that doesn't quite manage to mesh the story of Job with a modern-day romance.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 2, 2023

After eight years of titanic work, and crowdfunding the short becomes the debut feature of director and writer, Brock Heasley, and with it the idea of a film in many layers that allows the readings that its viewer gives it. [Full Review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 2, 2023