12 Hour Shift (2024)

12 Hour Shift

A cigarette break commences “12 Hour Shift,” a soft-boiled neo-noir comedy about an ordinary black-market organ harvesting deal gone wrong. Mandy (Angela Bettis), a nurse in an Arkansas hospital circa 1999, is surrounded by people who want things from her, but not in ways she cares about. At least, that’s what the opening scene seems to suggest.

Colleague of Mandy Cathy (Julianne Dowler) speaks to Mandy many times without being asked any questions for instance once when she says that “You seem to be doing well with money” Cathy is unguarded and merry when Mandy is absolutely tired already: though Mandy has not begun her double shift yet, she is ready to go out.

Moments later, Karen also participates in the process manifested by some job-related issues plus complications which result from a ghostly venture into business that she plans with Regina (Chloe Farnworth) and facilitates as easily as anybody can ever do so. Karen stands in for Mandy during the time she kills dying patients using bleach before taking their innermost organs and giving them back to biker gangs made up of generic grumpy men (one played by Mick Foley, a former professional wrestler) inspired by Regina’s activities.

Several minor issues crop up after Regina misplaces another one of Mandy’s orders; among such problems will be Officer Myers (Kit Williamson), suspicious officer presently Jefferson (David Arquette), unconscious criminal currently under treatment at the same hospital where Mandy works.

The perilous situations that soon follow are mostly circumstantial; there isn’t much on screen beyond few narrative constructs that push her story forward towards its end. Therefore, it was all just about Bettis’ facial expressions sneering constantly or gritting teeth together nothing new or original with this character anymore. It is not too bad; I mean, look at those pressured put-upon characters, like Mandy who would want to change urine stained bed sheets and serve perpetual hypochondriac Mr. Kent (Tom DeTrinis), or confront a patient with impending death (Ted Ferguson) who claims that “the sad thing about dyin’ is the minutes really slow down. You forgot to appreciate all those other minutes, now all you got is shitty ones.”

Also, why would you want to tidy up after Regina a completely hopeless anti-heroine involved in the minor complications that are either immediately resolved or just more things that cause Mandy to move slowly in the background? I mean, even Mikey (Dusty Warren), who is tasked with bringing back Regina “by her hair,” unless she returns within an hour it still took him 66 minutes before he sprang into action. If you do not like the premise of “12 Hour Shift”, there is hardly anything else left.

In this scenario, Farnworth’s appropriately broad performance is outstanding. She has very little dialogue to justify her playful and encompassing line reading skills but Farnworth should be appreciated for portraying Regina innocently asking Mandy how many kidneys she’d need. “One,” Bettis hisses. “How many was I born with?” Farnworth asks. “Two,” Bettis sighs, grinding hard on her character’s one emotional note. “That’s not too bad,” Regina thinks aloud.

This is because Karen and Mandy’s interactions are so captivating, maybe due to the fact that neither of them is ever actually doing anything at the hospital. Karen says “There’s nothin’ I like better than cash in my hand” as she and Mandy share their payola in an early scene. Then Mandy replies after a brief silence: “There’s a few things I like better than cash in my hand.” Gamby Turner says “Me too, actually,” then he adds “Or not.” Although I don’t get the joke being portrayed here, it seems like that is what this scene is all about: you either belong to Mandy’s crew or you do not. I remained mostly fine with “not,” even if Farnworth’s cartoon energy sometimes made me wish otherwise.

Most often than not, the hospital in the film 12 Hour Shift turns out to be just another place where social misfits indulge in strange dark perversions. However, everything in her behavior indicates that she might be any person who has ever been caught up with a meaningless soul destroying job for years which later became nothing more but a way of acquiring something unfairly obtained.

It may sound irritating, but if your work involves saving lives whilst on the other hand stealing some of them just for selfish gains from people trying to secure some cash wrongly shouldn’t be one of them when we part ways unless I know why you are such a miser with your money and what is going on.

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