Vampire mythology has been around for centuries, and these undead monsters are the epitome of horror. Though they look just like their human counterparts, they are nearly immortal and often have superhuman strength. These abilities come with an insatiable bloodlust, making vampires one of the most truly terrifying threats in all of supernatural lore. The creature first became a staple of horror fiction in 1897, with the release of Bram Stoker’s classic novelDracula. In 1922, vampires appeared on the big screen when theGerman filmNosferatu, an unauthorized adaptation of Stoker’s novel, was first released.
Though the vampire is a night-dwelling boogeyman, the creature has had significant moments in the sun over the past few decades. The ’80s saw a fair fewvampire flicksreleased, but nothing could prepare modern media consumers for the influx of vampire content that would be spawned by the release of Stephenie Meyer’sTwilightseries. After the debut of these popular young adult horror novels, vampires became all the rage. After over a decade of non-stop bloodsucker content, even those with the most Team Edward-inclined sentiments have begun to grow weary of pale skin and piercing fangs.
However, the newly released Netflix original filmDay Shiftrewrites the rules of mythological movies, introducing audiences to fascinating characters and a unique, hyper-modern vampire hunting world. Here is howDay Shiftgives new life to the vampire flick by making it relatable.
Jamie Foxx Is a Struggling Vampire Hunter
Thoughreviews ofDay Shiftare mixed, critics are, for the most part, in agreement over Jamie Foxx’s enrapturing performance. Foxx portrays Bud Jablonski, a vampire hunter posing as a pool cleaner.
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Early on in the film, when the character kills a pair of vampires, utilizing myriad customized tools, he proves to be a more than capable hunter. However, selling vampire fangs is not the lucrative business it once was, and Jablonski struggles to pay his bills, including his daughter’s braces and private school education. His financial concerns are exacerbated by the fact that his ex-wife, Meagan Good’s Jocelyn Jablonski, is threatening to move the family to Florida, where tuition is less expensive.
It was a brilliant move on behalf of director J. J. Perry and writers Tyler Tice and Shay Hattento to make Jablonski a struggling single father. His character doesn’t want to kill vampires out of some centuries-old vendetta against them. He just wants to provide for his family. This sets him apart from most humans in vampire films, who generally have complicated motives that underlay their interactions with the bloodsuckers. Bud Jablonski’s reason is easily understood, and it causes audiences to feel more sympathy for the character.
Bureaucratic Red Tape in the Bloodsucker Business
In order to pay his bills, Bud Jablonski is forced to return to the vampire hunter’s union, an intensely bureaucratic collective of monster assassins who operate out of an unassuming wooden office underneath a laundromat. Jablonski has a history with the union and was previously discharged from the organization for violating countless protocols during his early days as a hunter. However, he is able to rejoin the union thanks to the advice of his former partner Big John Elliot, who is portrayed by Snoop Dogg. Jablonski has to start with a probationary period and is assigned a union representative,Dave Franco’s Seth, who is to follow his every move and report back on any rules that Bud breaks.
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The introduction of the vampire hunter’s union was a master stroke of world-building fromDay Shift’sfilmmakers. Though vampires are an ancient specter, it makes sense that a modern organization dedicated to their eradication would have all the trappings of a contemporary office environment, including time clocks and irksome bosses. Additionally, a modern vampire hunting organization would undoubtedly need a lot of regulations, ensuring that the general public remains blissfully unaware of the bloodsucker infestation that plagues their communities and keeps them safe.
The film also turns vampire hunting into a lucrative, multi-leveled business. Hunters can sell fangs to unscrupulous pawn shop owners, and freelancers travel Los Angeles, silver and stakes in tow. To kill a population of humanoid monsters that live amongst the human population would undoubtedly represent a massive business opportunity, which would attract all manner of unsavory individuals.
Theera of the vampire flickmight be past its prime, but the concept is far from dead.Day Shiftintroduces relatable struggles in this mythological movie genre, making it compelling for reasons that go beyond simple blood and guts horror (or sparkly vampire hunks). The film has a lot of laughs, as well as some rather intense action sequences, which make this Netflix original a must-watch monster movie.
