User reviews

There was nothing, absolutely nothing in this film that could be classed as funny. it was a very realistic look at the working class man, and the problems troubled kids face. it was a good movie, very touching, great acting and pulled at my heartstrings.

it had a start and a middle then the credits rolled, if it was an episode of a series youd be interested to watch the next episode.

This story was written with a quill (or disposable Bic) not a sledge hammer. While it has the predictable white = bad, black = good thing happening, the story is actually new (to me, on film). Growing up, going through my first part-time jobs, I always ran into older people who unaccountably had the same responsibilities as I did. I didn't necessarily pity them, but I was curious about them. This film gives "that guy" some dimension, a life. I also like that the younger character can get in cross-ways with the law without being a thug. That's probably a lot more common than we know. It's not a story to change your life, but it is a thoughtful piece all the same.

Richard Jenkins was great, he nailed this role. This film won't get him an Oscar but based on his performance you should give it a watch. As far as the movie goes, it was nothing really over the top or spectacular. Just a simple film with a decent story and good acting. 6 stars.

I expected more bonding between the two, and the story to be more touching. I didn't really get either. I'm a little disappointed by it.

A film with many different layers. What is fair? Is the American dream possible to realize for people on the bottom? The movie contains some laughter but I wouldn't call it funny. Still worth watching because of the good acting and clever use of a low budget.

Astute observational indie about two guys who are stuck. Neither can admit that anyone is worse off, on a lower rung of America's economic ladder. They find themselves working together at a slow fast-food drive-through in a town that's been left behind. The elder of the two -- played with almost painful truthfulness by Richard Jenkins -- is a crumbling white guy who has been serving up low-nutrition burgers and fries for 38 years and thinks he's looking forward to his last shift. His trainee is a gifted young black man -- skilfully presented by Shane Paul McGhie as a charmer with a chip on his shoulder -- whose intelligence can't save him from the consequences of his resentment.

Written and directed with skill and sensitivity by documentarian Andrew Cohn, this is an understated state-of-the-nation piece that makes its points without ever resorting to polemic.

SYNOPSIS: It's Stanley's (Richard Jenkins) last week at his fast food job and he's stuck training a young rebellious kid to take over his job.

REVIEW: This film strikes me as someone having an excess of money and so they paid big to one well-respected actor and paid big to have it play in theaters. I say this because although I didn't hate the time I spent watching the film, I just sat there and thought of how pointless the film was. There were a couple moments that the film was grasping at a point, but it fell flat. It felt like there was an arc to be made with both of the characters, but nothing came of it. I mean, how much of a change can you make within a week?

If you're looking for something to have in the background that you don't need to pay attention to while you do other things, this is the one. It's a background film. 5/10.

The bad: probably only suited for a senior audience, who doesnt mind the slow (sometimes tedious) pace of this movie. Nothing much happens in this movie, painting a portrait of a washed up nightshift employee of an old diner, with very few customers left. Kinda depressing to watch, without any spark or punch...

Not any good? Richard Jenkins is great at his role. The feel of this movie is endearing and kinda sweet. I didnt get irritated, only somewhat bored.

In the end I would not recommend it, because despite the good acting and despite the attention for detail, this movie is a sleeping pill.

I don't understand why this movie has such a low score. I've watched this movie three times already. It's a slow-paced film. It's low-budget, but otherwise, it's a movie with a beautiful story. A perfect example of what it's like in America when you work in a fast-food place and what it's like if you've had problems with the system. Jevon The only downside was the music; I had hoped they would have invested more in the music. At first, Jevon's acting bothered me, but in hindsight, I realized she had to act that way, which made it better.

Stanley's acting performances were perfectly executed!!!

Story is all over the place and there is no comedy. It's depressing. I'm pretty sure Jenkins was doing someone a favor by being in this. What was the overall point? Cram as many different personalities and perspectives together and hope it creates amazing dialogue? Fail.

I acclame this particular script, film and mark-up the director's work. i say ,hey, keep it up doing great job! this director will grow to become Jim Jarmusch caliber pro overtime, imho.(couple grades left to skip). All staff performed quite earnestly. A row of every-day life issues discussed honestly , yet all put consequtively simply, with no hype , no political censorship, no cynisism, no snobism.No fx, only pure ideas depicted with theatrical play.

A not very funny 'Clerks' with older gents and a bunch of social issues too long to list. The dramas come thick and fast in the day of the life of a fast food worker as his life and plans come crashing down around him, with a little nudge from the replacement he's training. Having done the same menial tasks for way too long, Stanley has grown attached to the minimum wage job. Heads butt when Jevon stirs thoughts and memories in Stan that leads to a series of unfortunate events.

A good format of skipping from one character's background to another's while also following the main, my man Stan. It provides a sense of comprehension when jarring opinions come unexpectedly from one or the other. The filmmakers don't force us to choose a side, but instead to just mellow in the blurr of beliefs and ideals this film stirs up.

It also brings up a number of moral questions. And as with any dilemma in life, one's choice in that exact moment is unique: somebody else or at another time in your own life, and that choice and its outcomes will differ. This film does not ask "what would you have done?" in those circumstances, but asks you to empathise with their good or bad choices.

A slow burn but enjoyable throughout. Jenkins proves why he is one of the best actors out there. Bravo! Stellar performance by the full cast as well.

Absolute phenomenal performance from Richard Jenkins, good movie with great central performances.

Dud of a film that wastes the talents of Richard Jenkins.

It's a movie that wants to be culturally relevant, focused as it is on the prickly relationship between a white boomer who doesn't think racism is even a thing and the young black man who he's tasked with training for a job at the fast food restaurant where they work. But there have been so many better movies about America's racial divide in the last two or three years that this one gets completely overshadowed. It's the film's own fault, because it's tonally all over the place and meanders around until it just gradually peters out, like a music box winding down.

I saw this because Jenkins is in it, and I'll see anything he's in. Therefore it pains me to say that he's largely the reason the film doesn't work. I don't feel like he had a good read on this character or how to play him. It's like he was asked to shoot for a sort of dead pan screwball comedy that he can't land. I fault the director, because Jenkins has proven that he can do just about anything. See "Kajillionaire," which also came out this past year, as an example of Jenkins' mastery, and in which he brilliantly pulls off the very same vibe I think "The Last Shift" was trying to capture.

Grade: C-

As soon as this became available on Prime, I was giddy. I've been waiting for this for what seems like an eternity, and couldn't wait to sit down and enjoy this on a Friday night.

I've long been a fan of Richard Jenkins- since the first time I watched him in Witches of Eastwick, and fell in love with his dry delivery, and his ability to make even the most mundane things seem monumental. Every episode of Six Feet Under that featured Nate Sr was such a treat for an already exceptional show.

That being said, this is so far away from what I'd expect from him, and I wonder if it was due to needing a paycheck, or some piece of blackmail that was dangled to convince him to take part in this absolute train wreck of a feature film. The director should be ashamed of himself for his abysmal effort and taking some pretty stellar actors and making them into a grade school theater production.

Just a miserable film that I cannot express adequately enough in print how abominable this is. Save yourself the time.

This is a character study of two different demographics, namely elderly white and youthful black. The acting is of such high caliber that I couldn't see this rather minor story having any impact whatsoever without them. Richard Jenkins is one of the most talented and versatile contemporary actors working today and that's not to diminish the rest of the cast. The actors are pros that have a rapport that translates well on screen. The problem with this film is that it seems to lose its identity at some point. It starts out rather darkly comedic based on the interplay of the two leads that are destined to be fast food workers and then takes an even darker dramatic turn that upsets the established premise rather than enhancing it. If the core of the screenplay is ultimately about race relations, then the arc of the story provides no relief or redemption in that regard, which is probably what the director intended. I feel as though I'm being taught a lesson that I'm not even very clear on, masked in an alleged entertainment venue. An ending that puts the viewer off balance can be powerful, however in this case, it's simply unsatisfying. The lure of this film is in the power of its actors.