First Shift (2024)

It starts with beautiful city sights. As you'd expect.

With a to me new city, but with the same silhouettes of towers and bridges, reaching up into a smog-orange autumn sky. Typical intro.

But then... it takes a different route! You get to follow a couple of cops, through a turbulent first day. An older partner, and a new one, sorting out misogyny and ego issues, spilling secrets and shooting the shit, bonding, not directly beating up bad guys but saving a dog and driving for justice...

It's an unexpectedly feelgood movie. And the dog's just a part of it. Angel's the real highlight, even if she comes in with some unnecessarily sharp self-reflection questions sometimes. But that's therapy innit?

Good movie. It doesn't really reach a conclusion, but it looks good, and it hits you in the feels occasionally. It feels real. And good. Even if it is mostly just one big PSA for joining the police force and doing your bid for justice.

You grow to like the characters though, and you'd like to see more of them. Their day's an interesting one to follow; their interactions too.

Hope there'll be a second shift after this one.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle