The Shift - Budget of $6.4 million - 1 hour and 55 minutes
Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Kevin watches the news report about his hedge fund company closing its doors and firing all its employees after the housing market crashes. He sits at a bar with a gold AA chip in one hand and a beer in the other. Molly walks up to him as he puts the glass to his lips and calls him the saddest, most pathetic man she has ever seen. They discuss what their future would look like if they date. She offers tea instead, and Kevin leaves his untouched beer behind.
Years later, Molly and Kevin's marriage falls apart, and Kevin works a dead-end job. Kevin drives and calls Molly on the phone. A truck hits him. Kevin sees a man standing over him to help while his car is on fire. Kevin is in the alleyway moments later, and the man slaps him. Kevin regains consciousness, and the man calls Kevin by name. Kevin wants to call Molly about the accident, but the man tells Kevin not to bother. Then Kevin notices the streets are empty. When Kevin tries to call the police, the man laughs. The man calls himself 'The Benefactor' and invites Kevin to eat.
The Benefactor explains that he took Kevin out of his world through a shift. The Benefactor has Kevins all over the multiverse working for him as Shifters. The Benefactor gives Kevin a choice. He can go back to his life with an unhappy wife and a horrible job. Or Kevin can become a Shifter and move people throughout the universe. The people Kevin shifts will be miserable, but he will be wealthy. Kevin doesn't believe The Benefactor and urges him to prove it. The Benefactor makes Kevin choose a person to shift, and Kevin picks their waitress, Tina. As Tina's parents tearfully watch from the back kitchen, The Benefactor pulls up his sleeve, exposes a wristband called the deviator, punches in a few keys, and Tina disappears. The Benefactor admits that Tina went to a universe where she is in a mental institution, but that shouldn't be Kevin's concern. Kevin immediately starts to pray to God. The Benefactor becomes furious and tells Kevin that God won't protect him. Then, The Benefactor disappears. Kevin profusely apologizes to Tina's weeping parents and leaves the restaurant. He promises God that he will return to his universe and Molly no matter how long it takes. But can Kevin keep the faith in The Benefactor's chaotic and bleak world?
This movie is the science fiction telling of Job. It has futuristic devices like the deviator to transport people from one universe to another. People in The Benefactor's world can see their doppelgängers in a unique movie theater. The Benefactor tries to prove to Kevin that God abandoned him. But Kevin secretly passes the gospel to the people. Kevin must be careful because there is a Judas in his circle. Some things give Kevin hope, like small acts of kindness, a necklace, and a cat. Kevin tells the story of Job to help the viewers connect the biblical character to the protagonist. The shift sequences are well-timed, and the movie packs an emotional punch for people who have lost children. While the movie is entertaining, you won't want to buy it on DVD. However, you can gift someone a theater ticket.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is not my world - Kevin
Are you sure you are what you think you are - The Benefactor
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