7 Movies Like Day Shift You Must See

Image Credit: Parrish Lewis/Netflix

Directed by debutant filmmaker J. J. Perry, Netflix’s ‘Day Shift’ is a vampire actioncomedy film set in the San Fernando Valley. The story follows Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx). The world thinks that he owns a pool cleaning business. In reality, he is a freelance vampire hunter. After his former wife tells him that she is planning to move to Florida with their daughter because of overwhelming expenses, Bud convinces her to give him a week so he can gather the money. He subsequently rejoins the vampire hunting union, where he is paired with a by-the-book union rep. While all this is happening, a powerful vampire discovers that Bud killed her daughter.

‘Day Shift’ is filled to the brim with high-octane action sequences and genuine moments of hilarity. If you watched ‘Day Shift’ and loved it, here is a list of recommendations that might fit your taste. You can watch most of these movies similar to ‘Day Shift’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Like ‘Day Shift,’ ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is a perfect blend of action, comedy, horror, and fantasy and revolves around a vampire-hunting protagonist from San Fernando Valley. The film was developed from a script by Joss Whedon, who went on to develop the darker and more popular TV series of the same name. In the movie, Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson) is a high school cheerleader who discovers she is the Slayer or the Chosen One, destined to kill vampires. Although she initially refuses to accept this, she quickly realizes her remarkable abilities with the help of her mentor, a Watcher named Merrick. Soon enough, Buffy becomes involved in a conflict with a local vampire named Lothos (Rutger Hauer).

6. Van Helsing (2004)

Based on the character created by Bram Stoker for the 1897 gothic horror novel ‘Dracula,’ ‘Van Helsing‘ revolves around one of the most well-known vampire slayers in literature, though that has more to do with the adaptations than Stoker’s work itself. In ‘Van Helsing,’ the eponymous character (Huge Jackman) is a member of an international organization called Holy Order. Like the union, Holy Order protects humanity from the supernatural forces that seek to oppress or destroy it. Van Helsing comes to Transylvania to protect the last two scions of an ancient Romanian family from the wrath of Count Dracula.

5. Project Power (2020)

If ‘Day Shift’ is a Netflix film about vampires starring Jamie Foxx, ‘Project Power‘ is a Netflix film about superheroes starring Jamie Foxx. ‘Project Power’ is set in near-future New Orleans, where the illegal distribution of a pill called “Power” has become rampant. The pill gives the users superpowers for five minutes. Foxx’s Art, a Delta Force operator, teams up with NOPD detective Frank Shave (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Robin Reilly, a teenage Power dealer, to find the people responsible for the widespread distribution of the dangerous drug.

4. Bright (2017)

In the world of ‘Bright,’ humans co-exist with various fantastical entities, including elves, orcs, and fairies. Magic is very real in this world, though the use of it has been rendered illegal. Like ‘Day Shift,’ ‘Bright’ is set in and around Los Angeles, and its narrative is fueled by an exhilarating collection of rap and hip-hop tracks. ‘Bright’ tells the story of human LAPD officer Daryl Ward (Will Smith) and his partner Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), the first orc police officer in the country’s history, as they try to protect an elven girl who has a wish-granting wand in her possession.

3. Blade II (2002)

One of Guillermo del Toro‘s early films, ‘Blade II,’ the second installment in the ‘Blade trilogy’ starring Wesley Snipes, is a feast for any fan of action and vampire films. The movie is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The story begins as Blade searches for his mentor Abraham Whistler. Fearing a pandemic that transforms both humans and vampires into monstrous creatures known as Reapers, the vampires reach out to Blade, their mortal enemy, for help. While the tone of ‘Blade II’ is significantly darker than ‘Day Shift,’ they have several things in common thematically, including vampire hunting, a power struggle within the vampire hierarchy, and a protagonist who doesn’t care much about protocols.

2. The Lost Boys (1987)

‘The Lost Boys’ is one of the films that Perry states heavily influenced him when he was younger. Like ‘Day Shift,’ it’s an amalgamation of horror, action, and comedy and a prime example of escapist filmmaking. Moreover, its setting is California. Siblings Michael and Sam Emerson relocate to Santa Clara, California, with their mother. Michael meets a beautiful girl named Star and the biker gang leader she seems to be in a relationship with, David. When Michael begins developing supernatural abilities, he realizes that David and his gang are vampires, and they have turned him into one.

1. Fright Night (1985)

The original ‘Fright Night’ is another film that Perry states has majorly influenced him. It revolves around Charley Brewster, a 17-year-old horror fan, who discovers that his new next-door neighbor Jerry Dandrige is a vampire who caused the disappearances of several young women. When Charley tries to tell others about Jerry, no one predictably believes him. He subsequently reaches out to Peter Vincent, an actor who played a vampire hunter in movies in the past and currently hosts the titular TV program. Both ‘Day Shift’ and ‘Fright Night’ keep true to the popular lore about vampires and how to defeat them. This makes the films more accessible to the audience.

Read More: Day Shift Soundtrack: Where to Listen to All the Songs? 

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