Air Shift, the second feature-length film from writer-director Chris Mases, stars Ashlee Lawhorn as Lisa. The Charlottesville-based disc jockey is on edge due to her significant other’s departure and the dire news given by station manager Dwight (Alex Diehl). He informs her that the building was constructed on a radioactive waste dump site. Since radio no longer generates revenue as it once did, the station will close at the end of the week. Not only does this leave Lisa devastated over the loss of her job, but it also crushes her soul, as the station was her father’s dream.
Things go from bad to worse on the night of Lisa’s final show. A man named John (Patrick Andrew Jones) enters the station, claiming his car broke down and he’s awaiting the tow truck. The DJ lets him stay only to learn that John is actually the serial killer discussed in a recent news segment. Yet somehow, the night takes an even darker turn when the hazardous waste removal team turns into zombies and tries to eat the inhabitants of the radio station. Is the serial killer or are the zombies more dangerous? Does Lisa have enough left in her to fight off the varied attackers?
Air Shift is a clever blend of serial killer stories and zombie tales. John is a menacing guy and comes off as smarter and scarier than anyone else in the room. But undead hordes don’t have to outthink anyone and can rapidly increase their numbers. These two horror villains juxtaposed against one another add to the stakes, because who is to say which way to go is worse?
“The DJ lets him stay only to learn that John is actually the serial killer discussed in a recent news segment.”
The acting is good throughout as well. While Lisa is sometimes dumber than expected, that is a writing issue, as Lawhorn has charisma and sells the scares well. Jones is creepy and crazy, but still a little enticing. Diehl’s deadpan delivery is spot on and brings necessary levity. While the airing of a timely news segment is a cliché, it works well here, especially given how good Morgan Flanagan is as anchor Amanda. She’s determined, frustrated, and annoyed, usually all at once. Margarita Gamarnik plays singer-songwriter Sophie, a character who shows up at the worst possible time. She has a lovely voice and is sweet.
However, the film does have some issues, aside from Lisa’s on-off intelligence, that is. The tension really only amps up in the last half, as the setup takes a bit of time. One member of the hazmat team appears to be wearing a trash bag or a very flimsy poncho of some kind. Every other member is wearing a full hazmat suit sans helmet, but this one guy is running about in a sky blue bag over his street clothes. If it is meant to be a sight gag of some sort, it doesn’t work and makes the other members of the hazmat team come across as stupid, careless, or both. It is an odd and distracting choice, though his scenes are thankfully brief.
Air Shift is a fun combination of two different horror styles that works far more often than it does not. The cast is good and makes the most of what they have to work with. The makeup effects are gnarly and well done. The first half takes a long time to set everything up, but once the horror takes hold, it doesn’t take a break. For horror hounds tired of the same old thing, this is a great way to get the needed scare fix in an original package.
For more information about Air Shift, visit the Trujillo Creek Pictures site.
"…a fun combination of two different horror styles..."
