The Shift

"Infinite worlds. Endless choices. One way out."

2023 1h 53m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 103

Science Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Following a tense encounter with a mysterious stranger with otherworldly powers, a man finds himself banished to a parallel, tyrannical Earth, where he fights to get back to the woman he loves.

“Infinite worlds. Endless choices. One way out.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kristoffer Polaha
Kevin Garner
Neal McDonough
The Benefactor
Elizabeth Tabish
Molly Garner
Sean Astin
Gabriel
Jason Marsden
Cyrus
Paras Patel
Rajit Nadir
Emily Rose
Tabitha
Nolan North
Brett

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brock Heasley
Writers: Brock Heasley, Jake Christensen, Daniel Harmon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brock Heasley, shot by Edd Lukas. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dan Haseltine. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chris Witt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Kristoffer Polaha and Neal McDonough and Elizabeth Tabish carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Infinite worlds. Endless choices. One way out.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt19406606 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brock Heasley directs. Edd Lukas behind the camera. Dan Haseltine scores. Chris Witt cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 3 years ago.
2Directed by Brock Heasley, shot by Edd Lukas. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Dan Haseltine. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Chris Witt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Kristoffer Polaha and Neal McDonough and Elizabeth Tabish carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Infinite worlds. Endless choices. One way out.".
7IMDB entry: tt19406606 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Edd Lukas
Original score: Dan Haseltine
Editing: Chris Witt
Production design: Katherine Tucker
Costume design: Anna Redmon
Makeup / hair: Ashley Parker
Stunt coordinator: Tyler Galpin
Runtime: 113 min · 1h 53m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $6,500,000
Box office: $12,238,643
Return: 188% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Shift (2023)

Also by

Brock Heasley

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Joseph Jeavons2023-12-03
I was pretty confused as to what was going on, and I wasn’t vibing with the movie very much at the start. But then, out of nowhere, one of the best cinematic scenes in history played on the screen. Kevin denied the devil, and it was absolutely insane. I was sucked in. From there, I had fun trying to decipher the metaphors and plot they had written and ended up loving the film. 4.5/5
Wuchak2026-01-02
★ 7/10
Highbrow multiverse Sci-Fi with elements of the book of Job The milieu is mostly of the dystopian variety with Kristoffer Polaha starring as the protagonist and Neal McDonough playing the mysterious The Benefactor. Sean Astin is also on hand in a peripheral role. While the relationship between the protagonist and his romantic interest (Elizabeth Tabish) is effectively established, the first half is bewildering with constant shifts from one reality to another. Thankfully, you start to catch a grip in the second half, and the film delivers some powerful food for thought, such as: You Are Not Your Worst Moment. This was the writer/director’s debut feature film after releasing a few shorts from 2016-2019, one of which was also called “The Shift” and the foundation for this. The filmmaking is topnotch for an indie highlighted by quality actors who rise to the challenge. I would compare it to “The Shack” (2017), which also tackles the tough questions of life, like how can a good God allow evil and suffering? Both films are full of meaty material on which to reflect, but this one’s more sci-fi oriented. It’s also overly convoluted, similar to “Beyond the Darkness,” aka “Heaven’s War.” The writer/director of each flick respects the intelligence of the viewer to put the pieces together, assuming they’re interested. It runs 1h 54m and was shot in the late winter of 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. GRADE: B/B-

Production companies