Rooted in the tradition of Ken Russell’s ALTERED STATES and the work of David Cronenberg – crossed with any number of classic time travel movies over the decades and a touch of THE TWILIGHT ZONE – comes SHIFTER.
Young factory worker Theresa lives alone on the family farm, traumatised by the death of her father from the after-effects of dementia. She’s not one for nice dates, even though a neighbour suggests she should get out more at the weekend and a date with a man she hasn’t seen for a while reveals he is married to somebody else.
Related post:Â Greenpoint Film Festival 2020 Review: SNATCHERS
Still, in her life and possession is what appears to be an energy pod associated with the effects of quantum physics.that provides her with the opportunity to go back in time shifts at any point she chooses, even to the point of going back to just before the aforementioned date she has had with the married man.
Little cute kitties also help her overcome the phenomenon she is experiencing, but with dabbling in the issue of time travel comes consequences – and the side effects are already starting to kick in….
Even for a body horror combined with a time travel concept, SHIFTER is weird, that must be said without question – and your willingness to embrace the film’s central motifs and ideas is all dependent on how willing you are to embrace our central protagonist.
Some of you might also recall Cronenberg’s VIDEODROME, when James Woods’ character was drawn into the television channel both physically and psychologically as the film evolved – and SHIFTER has a touch of that about it as you watch it.
Naturally, the natural logistical processes of your mind will kick in as you will try and keep up with the central idea – and it is here that the film does lose some of its’ veneer, but it is an intriguing idea and unlike BACK TO THE FUTURE, which remains the best time-travel movie of the last four decades, the director has made a smart move to take it into a much darker place rather than the straightforward and more accessible route that defined the 1985 blockbuster classic.
The film’s appeal will certainly be initially to the cult and horror crowd, but it can step out to other demographics if marketed correctly.
