Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 806
RT slug: the_shift_2023
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_shift_2023
Release year: 2023
Runtime: 115 mins
Wide release date: 2023-12-01
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: —
Tomatometer final: 30%
Audience score final: —
Genres: Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Directors: Brock Heasley
Writers: Brock Heasley
Producers: Brock Heasley, Ken Carpenter
MPAA rating: PG-13
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-06-17 18:59:52
Updated: 2026-06-17 18:59:52
In this modern-day retelling of Job, Kevin Garner (Kristoffer Polaha) embarks on a journey across worlds and dimensions to reunite with Molly (Elizabeth Tabish), his true love. The narrative unfolds as a dystopian drama and sci-fi thriller, where a mysterious adversary, The Benefactor (Neal McDonough), disrupts Kevin's reality. Faced with infinite worlds and impossible choices, Kevin must navigate through an alternate reality, resisting The Benefactor's tempting offer of wealth and power. As survival hangs in the balance, Kevin fights to return to the familiar world he cherishes and the woman he loves.
The Shift's solid cast and intriguing premise are steadily squandered by its jumbled story's unsuccessful attempt to put a sci-fi spin on the Book of Job.
Canonical reviews: 30
Canonical fresh: 9
Canonical rotten: 21
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 30%
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-06-17 18:50:32
Snapshot Tomatometer: 30%
Snapshot review count: 30
Snapshot fresh count: 9
Snapshot rotten count: 21
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #1435 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Angel Studios | distributor |
| Nook Lane Entertainment | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kristoffer Polaha | Kevin Garner |
| 2 | Neal McDonough | The Benefactor |
| 3 | Sean Astin | Gabriel |
| 4 | Elizabeth Tabish | Molly Garner |
| 5 | John Billingsley | Russo |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 822 | processed | — | 2026-06-17 18:59:52 | Processed successfully into movie_id=806 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1435 | 2026-06-17 13:50:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-06-17 18:50:32 | 30% | 30 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 30 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=30, fresh=9, rotten=21, tomatometer=30%. Net new reviews added=30, fresh=9, rotten=21. Current canonical totals=30 reviews, 9 fresh, 21 rotten, tomatometer=30% (30.000%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (30). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (30%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 179186 | Shikhar Verma | High on Films | Rotten | — | 2024-02-18T15:59:43Z | 2024-02-18 15:59:43 | The film starts smashing its smart sci-fi concept to smithereens by instead peddling some extremely inept faith-based propaganda your way. |
| 179187 | Pete Vonder Haar | Houston Press | Rotten | 2/5 | 2024-01-25T19:50:28Z | 2024-01-25 19:50:28 | As silly revolutionary parables go, it's less ridiculous than Arnold Schwarzenegger leading Dweezil Zappa in an uprising against the host of Family Feud. Or Mel Gibson driving Scotland to capital F "freedom" before siring Edward III with Queen Isabella. |
| 179188 | Matthew Turner | Action Reloaded | Rotten | 2/5 | 2023-12-27T02:57:40Z | 2023-12-27 02:57:40 | This is a watchable sci-fi thriller, enlivened by strong performances and some nice ideas, but it fails to satisfy on a dramatic or emotional level |
| 179189 | Roger Catlin | rogercatlin.com | Rotten | — | 2023-12-23T02:19:15Z | 2023-12-23 02:19:15 | It’s all part of an alternate world Christianity so stylized it might make Christians cringe too. |
| 179190 | Sean P. Means | The Movie Cricket | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2023-12-23T01:04:17Z | 2023-12-23 01:04:17 | The ham-fisted attempts to drive the message home get in the way of some strong storytelling and solid performances by Polaha, Tabish and Sean Astin as a nonbeliever who starts to get swayed by Kevin’s remembered scripture passages. |
| 179191 | Hosea Rupprecht | Pauline Media Studies | Rotten | — | 2023-12-21T21:35:26Z | 2023-12-21 21:35:26 | As a fan of the science fiction genre, I think the idea of a faithful man stuck in a faithless universe could have been a fascinating one. It is unfortunate that The Shift fails to give the audience enough reason to care about what happens. |
| 179192 | Lapacazo Magrira Sandoval | New York Amsterdam News | Rotten | — | 2023-12-20T23:31:35Z | 2023-12-20 23:31:35 | I am not sure what the actual multiverse idea has to do with the story except to add a dramatic shortcut to everything happening to Kevin. |
| 179193 | Nathalia Aryani | The MovieMaven | Fresh | — | 2023-12-15T07:32:08Z | 2023-12-15 07:32:08 | A faith-based story about about choices and sacrifices, believing in oneself to do the right thing, seeing the good in humanity even during the worst times, trusting the higher power, righting wrongs, and allowing others to live on their own free will. |
| 179194 | Rebecca Cusey | Christianity Today | Fresh | — | 2023-12-14T18:41:36Z | 2023-12-14 18:41:36 | While the scale of The Shift is small -- you won’t find grandiose special effects or casts of thousands -- the directing is confident, the cinematography professional, and the pacing (for the most part) well done. |
| 179195 | Marie Asner | Phantom Tollbooth | Fresh | 3/5 | 2023-12-14T18:39:34Z | 2023-12-14 18:39:34 | Neal McDonough steals his scenes as The Benefactor, who can act kind and unkind in a second’s notice. |
| 179196 | Austin Burke | Austin Burke/Flick Fan Nation | Fresh | 6/10 | 2023-12-08T15:26:55Z | 2023-12-08 15:26:55 | The Shift works when the focus is on Kevin’s drive and what pushes him through the darkness. The genre elements feel familiar, and there is too much happening, but the humanity is there. |
| 179197 | Dennis Schwartz | Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews | Rotten | D | 2023-12-08T07:04:45Z | 2023-12-08 07:04:45 | Goethe would roll over in his grave if he saw what became of his Faust in the hands of these right-wing evangelicals. |
| 179198 | Carla Hay | Culture Mix | Rotten | — | 2023-12-07T20:53:59Z | 2023-12-07 20:53:59 | The Shift wants desperately to be a clever mix of sci-fi and faith-based teachings, but the end results are jumbled and messy. This disappointing drama taking place in a multiverse has too many poorly written scenes and characters without much depth. |
| 179199 | Evan Dossey | Midwest Film Journal | Rotten | — | 2023-12-03T03:10:09Z | 2023-12-03 03:10:09 | At nearly two hours, The Shift lacks the action, rhythm or cleverness to make the most of its sci-fi story and generally decent cast. Just a frustrating experience. |
| 179200 | Jackie K. Cooper | jackiekcooper.com | Rotten | 5/10 | 2023-12-02T21:23:09Z | 2023-12-02 21:23:09 | The acting level and the unique plot promise more than average entertainment. The promise is mostly unmet. |
| 179201 | Christian Toto | HollywoodInToto.com | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2023-12-02T18:14:26Z | 2023-12-02 18:14:26 | Dystopian yarn re-imagines Book of Job in flawed but fascinating ways. |
| 179202 | Peter Debruge | Variety | Rotten | — | 2023-12-02T12:39:03Z | 2023-12-02 12:39:03 | Heasley first made “The Shift” as a 21-minute short, and there’s just enough here to support a feature. |
| 179203 | Jim Laczkowski | Director's Club | Rotten | 1/5 | 2023-12-02T02:56:14Z | 2023-12-02 02:56:14 | Rambling incoherence about faith, choice, believing in Him, etc. An intriguing premise is reduced to feeling like a sci-fi channel pilot for a show I would never continue watching. |
| 179204 | Jeffrey M. Anderson | Common Sense Media | Rotten | 2/5 | 2023-12-02T01:55:52Z | 2023-12-02 01:55:52 | 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. |
| 179205 | Laura Hiros | Rincón de cine | Fresh | 3/5 | 2023-12-02T01:27:53Z | 2023-12-02 01:27:53 | After eight years of titanic work, and crowdfunding the short becomes the debut feature of director and writer, Brock Heasley, and with it the idea of a film in many layers that allows the readings that its viewer gives it. [Full Review in Spanish] |
| 179206 | Collin Garbarino | WORLD | Rotten | 2/4 | 2023-12-01T17:09:28Z | 2023-12-01 17:09:28 | The Shift is a sci-fi thriller inspired by the Biblical story of Job. That’s not what you were expecting, was it? Yeah, me neither… |
| 179207 | Michael Clark | Epoch Times | Fresh | 4/5 | 2023-12-01T00:35:08Z | 2023-12-01 00:35:08 | While those already familiar with Job should find the parallels intriguing and inviting, the uninitiated might have trouble connecting the dots and could find the semi-convoluted, non-linear narrative closer to a Quentin Tarantino flick. |
| 179208 | Nadir Samara | Screen Rant | Rotten | 1.5/5 | 2023-11-30T15:35:01Z | 2023-11-30 15:35:01 | The film tries desperately to scare us with the idea of a world without belief, but has neither the action nor dialogue to pull off such a feat. |
| 179209 | Mark Dujsik | Mark Reviews Movies | Rotten | 1.5/4 | 2023-11-30T15:00:27Z | 2023-11-30 15:00:27 | The Shift ... awkwardly adapts the Biblical story of Job by way of clunky world-hopping mechanics and a lot of preaching. |
| 179210 | Frank Scheck | The Hollywood Reporter | Rotten | — | 2023-11-30T11:51:41Z | 2023-11-30 11:51:41 | As the storyline endlessly and confusingly shifts from one reality to another, it’s all too easy to tune out until we encounter one that’s interesting. Alas, that never happens. |
| 179211 | Avi Offer | NYC Movie Guru | Fresh | — | 2023-11-30T06:01:18Z | 2023-11-30 06:01:18 | A gripping, heartfelt and provocative love story. |
| 179212 | Brian Orndorf | Blu-ray.com | Rotten | C- | 2023-11-30T05:09:20Z | 2023-11-30 05:09:20 | “The Shift” isn’t compelling, with Heasley struggling to find some sort of pace to the endeavor, which largely remains in conversation mode, diluting any potential for suspense. |
| 179213 | Mike McGranaghan | Aisle Seat | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2023-11-30T02:12:40Z | 2023-11-30 02:12:40 | This new film works nicely on one level, but falters significantly on the other. And they’re not the levels you probably expect. |
| 179214 | Richard Propes | TheIndependentCritic.com | Fresh | 3.0/4.0 | 2023-11-30T00:22:23Z | 2023-11-30 00:22:23 | While The Shift sure isn't a masterpiece, it's a confident and more than competent piece of filmmaking that successfully weaves together a core of faith meet science meets family drama. |
| 179215 | Noah Berlatsky | Chicago Reader | Rotten | — | 2023-11-29T15:06:56Z | 2023-11-29 15:06:56 | A remarkably incoherent farrago of sci-fi tropes and Christian proselytizing. |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.