In 1957, co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, Steven Allen famously said in an interview for Cosmopolitan Magazine, “Tragedy plus time equals comedy.“
That saying has permeated the comedy genre, as directors and comedians challenge themselves with how far they could push comedy rooted in tragedy. Some directors draw on political turmoil and hopelessness for laughs, such as Stanley Kubrick in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Other directors draw comedy from a grander, more existential depression based on utter meaninglessness, such as Roy Andersson in A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence. For biting comedy, the film 12 Hour Shift is smack-dab in the middle of those tragically-comic ideas, drawing on the relatable frustrations of being a nurse.
Directed by Brea Grant, 12 Hour Shift focuses on nurse Mandy (Angela Bettis), who conducts a black-market organ-trading scheme with her ditsy, but dangerous cousin Regina (Chloe Farnworth). After Regina loses a kidney she was delivering to her boss Nicholas (Mick Foley), she and Mandy are forced to scramble and locate a new kidney. Their evening becomes more insane when Jefferson (David Arquette), a convicted murderer, is brought into the hospital, as Regina starts murdering patients to get organs.
Throughout this film, Grant demonstrates an exquisite skill for using her setting to communicate Mandy’s mindset. The drab hospital feels crushingly omnipresent, reflecting Mandy’s burnout and frustration at her own complacency. You can sense that she had been passionate about her job, when during key moments of the film, she exhibits skill and a desire to help people. At the same time, the cinematography reflects how the hospital drained her energy, an experience shared by many nurses today.
A significant source of comedy comes from the performances. Angela Bettis and Chloe Farnworth make a great comedy duo. They have excellent chemistry, with each of them injecting their unique personality and bite into their roles. Bettis’ exhaustion and irritation are hilarious, playing a superb straight-man for Farnworth. Farnworth’s performance is incredibly fun to watch, as we’ve all met that one flighty weird person seemingly detached from reality, and it’s fun to watch as she molds that personality type into murderous narcissism. David Arquette and Mick Foley, while not having much screen time, still have their moments to shine and are having fun with their roles.
You rarely see a comedy injected with such contempt and bitterness, still be really funny. I found myself questioning why I was laughing because the frustration and burnout depicted in this movie are very believable. The film’s success is derived from the commitment of the director and her actors, breathing personality into such a draining scenario. If you are looking for an uncomfortable laugh, this is the movie to see.
12 Hour Shift will be having its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival
