Late Shift

I generally support pioneering approaches, but you gotta carry the idea through to the end. Interactivity is very tempting, but it stumbles upon technical imperfections, meaning that when the application isn't getting stuck, at the very least the distributor's Wi-Fi will crash. Even without this flaw, which doesn't allow for immersion in the story, it is still a half-hearted spectacle. In terms of the plot, it is actually the most average thriller, where scenes often awkwardly follow each other (at least in the version I chose). This is why I am giving it such a low rating despite the diligent entertainment of the concept as a whole. Though the audience mostly evaluated only minor details almost until the very end, suddenly it was over based on a single choice, without a chance to recover from what is happening on the screen. After exploring other alternatives, I see that the viewing audience on FilmBooster ended their own versions of Late Shift in probably the worst possible way, which makes the wasted opportunity that much greater. (05.04.2017)

As an interactive experiment, Late Shift is uninteresting and the movie clearly missed the bus, because others have already done the same but better. In addition, the choices for a similar type of experiment are not very common. And after all, with a few notable exceptions, it's more of a semblance of choice, as you alternate the main character's reactions to the event rather than directly influencing the event. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem if the non-actors were good, but they are not. If the directing was good, but it is not. If at least the script had been good, but in fact it is not. It is appalling and doesn't make sense. So, as a movie, it doesn't work at all. Nor does it work as a game, because the two dozen meaningless yes/no decisions are simply not enough for a “full-length". Instead of feeling that you are creating the movie, you feel more like a passive spectator who has to avoid falling asleep between long boring non-interactive blocks before you can make another choice. Moreover, most choices are one-word and, given their outcome, clearly misleading. The creators specially designed repeated passages, but they doesn’t work, precisely because it is hard to watch due to poor quality and it cannot even be played due to the lack of meaningful choices. (29.09.2019)

We already saw this long ago. Tobias Weber revived the old idea of the Czechoslovak kinoautomat from the 60s. Once upon a time in the 80s, people from all over the country sat down in front of their TVs to decide what would happen on the screen by collectively connecting electrical appliances. Of course, Late Shift is much more hi-tech, and the film reflects the tastes of the young generation in the age of social media and ubiquitous applications. I have no problem with Tobias Weber's direction and the cast, and they receive two stars for it. Unfortunately, the film suffers from a bad screenplay, as too much energy was devoted by the creative team to the gaming essence, instead of working on the characters and the meaningfulness of their actions. Everything here is too straightforward, and the events on the screen do not stem from the characters' motivations and the logic of the plot, but rather from the screenwriter's desire to take it where he needs it to go. Sometimes it's just slightly naive and toothless, and in other places, it reeks of stupidity. Of course, if you turn off your brain, and indulge in the view of luxury fast cars, a sexy girl, adventure, tension, and, above all, pressing buttons on a smartphone, then you may not find it bad. However, I belong to those who followed the advice that if I don't like playing, I should focus on the film and enjoy it. Unfortunately, for me, it did not pass the test for those filmmaking reasons. By the way, although Late Shift is technically far more advanced, it suffers from certain flaws. Often, the viewer decides not in crucial situations, but in trivial ones, and it even kills the form. Late Shift is a stupid thriller. But filming something cool and smart, like the first Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch would be a treat. Overall impression: 45%. It may not have anything to do with the quality of the film, but I have to praise the marketing idea because those seven alternative endings practically call for the enthusiastic fan to spend money repeatedly at the movie theater. (27.03.2017)