The Shift Movie Review
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Violence, drinking in muddled, faith-based sci-fi romance. Read Common Sense Media's The Shift review, age rating, and parents guide.
/themes/custom/common_sense/images/favicons/favicon-16x16.png
Common Sense Media
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. The Shift is largely about the concept of being tested by God in order to prove your faith while avoiding succumbing to weakness (the devil). But in terms of the story, it doesn't make much sense. Even the Benefactor makes the argument that Kevin being tested is pointless, and it's hard to argue against him. Moreover, there's no particular reason for the Benefactor to "shift" people into different realities, other than the fact that it makes for some cool effects.

Additionally, for some reason, Kevin is famous, known by all as "The Kevin Who Refused." The Benefactor says that all other Kevins in all other realities took his deal. But why is Kevin the important one? What does his fame have to do with anything? There are other plot twists that feel forced, and an ending that, if you think about it for a second, is downright stalker-ish. The Shift has its heart in the right place when it speaks about finding beauty and kindness in the world and arguing that people aren't all bad, but its storytelling logic is so muddled that it doesn't have much hope of reaching beyond the already converted.