The Last Shift Movie Review

The Last Shift (2020)

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Written by: Andrew Cohn
Directed by: Andrew Cohn
Starring: Richard Jenkins, Shane Paul McGhie, Ed O'Neill
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Stanley's last shift at his fast food job takes an unexpected turn when he befriends a young African-American work employee.

Verdict
A solid movie that looks at two guys in tough situations. It doesn't quite deliver on the promise of the premise, but it also avoids story cliches. It doesn't do as well at avoiding character cliches. Jenkins does a great job, but I wanted a scene that did some heavy lifting, just one great scene. It's not bad. I wish it left a stronger impression.
It depends.

Review
This could be a look at lower middle class America. Jevon doesn't have to be working this job to avoid going back to county jail. His family situation is enough to push him to try to work the graveyard shift, and that would be a much more compelling story. It's just too easy to put Jevon as the character avoiding jail. The story draws this as more of a young and old, black and white story. That's fine if it was part of the story, but it's the main drive of the story.

Richard Jenkins plays Stanley.

Stanley (Richard Jenkins) cares about his job at a fast food place. but in the next scene high schoolers in the drive through are putting him down for being an old man working fast food. You're not quite sure if he gets it or just realizes ignoring it is the best response. Jenkins does a great job as a crotchety old man, from the walk to the demeanor. It's a great performance.

Jevon (Shane Paul McGhie) is the other half of the odd couple. He works the job because he has to, and he sees the distinct divide between the employees and the never present owners. Jevon realizes Stanely is just a cog in the machine despite his claims of being night manager. They both are low level employees working the night shift.

Shane Paul McGhie and Richard Jenkins play Jevon and Stanley.

Stanley has worked in fast food his entire life. He upholds some naive ideal that it matters. Maybe that's how he copes. Jevon only wants to do the minimum. At first I wondered if this would fall into the cliche that they'll both learn from each other as the millennial that thinks he can conquer the world and the old man that didn't. I thought it might become a cautionary tale for Jevon, but it doesn't go that way. I hate to say that Stanley just can't cut it, but he wants to buy a car and I knew that subplot would never work out well. Jevon seems to have a lot more potential if he can just focus.

I wasn't sure where this would go. It definitely holds surprises, and I'm glad it avoided the happy ending, learn from each other, everything works out conclusion. Life is messier than that. The ending is fitting, but I'm also left wanting more. I wish it had one great or really fun scene, a quirkier character, something to point at and say it's worth it. I was hoping we'd have something really run or funny due to them being bored at night, but we don't get that. I enjoyed it, but there are so many movie choices that would leave a lasting impression.