Canadian Horror Shifted (2023) Brings Twist to End of the World

Title: Shifted

First Non-Festival Release: April 18, 2023 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)

Director: Adrian Konstant

Writer: Jason T. Green, Adrian Konstant

Runtime: 88 Minutes

Starring: Michael Wurtz, Derek Lackenbauer, Victoria Dunsmore

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

How far are you willing to go to survive the apocalypse? Contending with lack of resources, the elements, other people, and whatever dangers lurk in the shadows, there are so many horrible ways to suffer and die.

In Shifted, a group of survivors stick out the impending death of humanity in an unassuming suburban home. Outside are horrible creatures that use to be their fellow man but have transformed into something else entirely. Using sound to hunt, they are stymied easily by staying out of sight and earshot, but they can only be avoided for so long.

A noble attempt at merging two subgenres, Shifted fails to put the pieces together in this creature feature turned slasher.

After a shocking and irritatingly revelatory cold open, Shifted switches gears into a much different film. The scene starts with future survivor Derek (Derek Lackenbauer) gritting through another lecture from his cruel wife Clara (Kimberly Wells) while the television warns of something terrible on the horizon. That night Derek ends her life in a gruesome manner. In the next scene, time jumps ahead to him with a group of survivors struggling to stay alive against the invasion of bizarre creatures. There also happens to be a killer in their midst getting rid of them one by one. Unfortunately, Shifted doesn’t even play coy and makes it clear who is doing this, removing any sense of mystery or urgency despite introducing several credible red herrings. It’s disappointing because the idea does have potential to be engaging otherwise.

While the stakes are clearly high, Shifted does a poor job of juggling its various concerns, leaving some to the wayside in favor of others. It’s clear that the creatures surrounding the home are an ever-present fear for the group and the realization that someone is dispatching the crew one-by-one is fresh in everyone’s minds, other important things are forgotten. The hapless survivors make a big deal of dwindling supplies, particularly their food, and during an ill-fated run outside they lose both their carrier of fresh water and toilet. In the drawn-out timeline, this all happens on one day yet they stick it out several more days without these issues being addressed. Of course, their immediate threats are far more horrifying, but from a practical standpoint they aren’t doing themselves any favors. The tension point evaporates beyond the general declaration that they need to vacate by Sunday if they want to live.

Varied performances give way to some interesting moments throughout the film. Michael Wurtz and Derek Lackenbauer give some of the best performances of the film, and really work off each other in the final act to deliver some solid moments. They bring enough depth to their characters to show how desperate they are to survive and for different reasons. The rest of the cast delivers average to sub-par performances that don’t hamper the film too much.

Shifted does an excellent job at maintaining a consistently grim atmosphere, making the most of its scant budget. The brutal winter of Canada makes for an eerie backdrop for such an apocalyptic tale. Blankets of powder white snow indicate how few options the crew has for escape when factoring in exposure. The inside of the home isn’t much better for inspiring hope. It looks sufficiently depressing: items scattered around, rooms stripped of their individuality, mattresses on the ground, whiteboards with chore schedules. A stripped-down end-of-the-world extended sleepover with the last people you want to be stuck with, Shifted makes good on its downbeat premise with its commitment to set design.

There are plenty of good ideas bubbling throughout Shifted to make it worth a watch. They don’t quite fit together but the effort to do something different is much appreciated. Although its jumbled story and so-so performances drag it down, it is anchored by its style and mood, which makes the film feel far bigger budget than actuality. If indie horror is your thing, Shifted is one apocalyptic story to quietly slip on your radar.

Overall Score? 4/10