It’s an understatement to say the the library of original Netflix movies is wild, especially when it comes to Jamie Foxx. Previously, he got to flex some super powered muscle in the platform’s action flick Project Power; but now the Academy Award winner is saddling up for a new gig in the Netflix original Day Shift. This time, Foxx is cracking Twilight jokes while hunting vampires for cash, and he’s got Snoop Dogg’s help for that second half of the equation.
Courtesy of a new trailer released by Netflix, we see Jamie Foxx playing Bud Jablonski, a professional vampire hunter who’s in need of some serious money. Unfortunately, he and the official union for vamp blasting kind of parted ways on some less than friendly terms, thanks to Bud being a bit of a bad cop when it comes to his job.
Seeing as that’s where the big money’s at, he teams up with friend Big Jon Elliot (Snoop Dogg) and a very skittish newbie (Dave Franco) to get his cred back and save the day. Which is exactly where Day Shift kicks the fun into gear, as this new film looks like a buddy cop movie, with vampire hunting, "from the guys who taught John Wick to kick ass."
On top of some sick action moves, undoubtedly bolstered by producer Chad Stahelski and his John Wick pedigree, there’s a lot of colorful visuals and humor in Day Shift’s first look. California is made into a hotspot for bloodsucking baddies yet again, and the tone is fast and fun based on this footage. Not to mention, much like Stahelski's other action universe, the international union of vampire hunters could be the next Continental, leading to all sorts of surprises in potential sequels.
Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco having a debate about how the former knows the names to The Twilight Saga’s sequels pairs rather well with the footage of flat-screen decapitations and no-look shotgun blasts we’ve seen. Could Bud Jablonski’s knowledge be so deep that he knows where to stream the Twilight movies? If so, let's hope that Snoop Dogg somehow gets a good joke in related to that fact.
Knowing that Jamie Foxx personally cast Snoop Dogg to play against type makes his inclusion in Day Shift all the more exciting. While you’ve still got some of the rapper’s hallmarks present, especially with his on-brand one-liner used to close out the trailer, that swagger that Foxx mentioned is definitely there. Not to mention, watching Snoop Dogg tearing through hordes of vampires with a machine gun named “Big Bertha” is something most people can admit they enjoy seeing.
High action movies are always welcome, especially if they happen to hit during the summer movie season. Day Shift may be creeping in on the tail end of the fun, but with Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg teamed up to bring the fight to those with fangs, it’s a good bet that people won’t forget about this movie any time soon. Foxx may not have the powers of a pistol shrimp like in Project Power’s ending, but as you can see, his aim is still pretty deadly.
Day Shift calls open season on all vampires, as the upcoming Jamie Foxx movie is set to debut on August 12th. While it’s not specified in the trailer, the lack of an “Only on Netflix” message does hint that this could be headed to limited theatrical release; so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, there’s a whole bunch of added fun on the 2022 Netflix movie schedule, and it’s waiting for anyone who is seeking its knowledge.
