Benjamin China and Paul China’s 2024 horror thriller film, Night Shift, revolves around a shady motel named All Tucked Inn, where a woman named Gwen goes for the first time on her night shift. As soon as she steps into the place, Gwen feels creeped out by the weird vibe and the strange people coming and going. Also, the lack of proper amenities and atmosphere makes her worry about how she is going to spend the night alone in the motel without security. But as the night goes on, things get even more intense. Let’s find out if Gwen and the others staying in the motel can survive in its creepy atmosphere or not.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was The Vibe Of The Motel Like?
When Gwen arrives at the motel named “All Tucked Inn,” she is greeted by the hotel manager and owner, named Teddy. He tells her she will be paid in cash for the night shift because nobody really likes to work there at night. Gwen tells Teddy that she has moved to the area alone, without any family, and that she is grateful for the job. However, as Teddy shows her around the hotel, Gwen notices that it’s infested with cockroaches and rats. The place is very untidy, with rooms that aren’t clean, making her feel like she has to take care of everything. She also realizes that the door in the cleaning closet only locks from the outside. Additionally, the parking space at the back is densely populated with old cars, and there is a non-functioning pool with a sinkhole that could probably fit many people inside it. Moreover, the hotel lacks security altogether, leaving Gwen wondering how she will survive the night alone while covering the front desk, especially since there’s only one CCTV camera in the front and nowhere else.
The atmosphere feels unsettling to Gwen, almost as if the Addams family used to live there, but Teddy expresses optimism about the hotel’s future as he dreams of franchising it. However, Gwen seriously doubts his plans and starts to have second thoughts about taking the job and complaining about the rats. But Teddy gives her some money, saying dinner is on him, to prevent her from leaving the job, as it would be difficult for him to find a replacement. He reassures her by mentioning another lady named Carmen, who has been working there without any problems, implying that Gwen has nothing to worry about. Once Teddy leaves, Gwen begins cleaning the rooms and notices their untidiness. She realizes that only one room is occupied, with a lady named Alice staying there. Gwen approaches Alice’s door, asking if she needs anything, but Alice only responds from behind the door, refusing to open it completely.
Gwen notices that Alice’s hand is red, which unnerves her, and she leaves. Later, while tending the front desk, Gwen receives a call from room 13, but when she investigates, she sees no guest is staying there. This sends shivers down her spine, and she cautiously enters the room with a knife. Initially, everything seems normal since the lights are off, but she hears a noise from the bathroom. Despite initially finding no one there, she suddenly sees an ominous-looking woman staring at her, causing Gwen to flee in terror. Outside the room, she notices a car lurking around the hotel, intensifying her fear. Fortunately, Alice comes to Gwen’s rescue, asking for help dyeing her hair. Gwen takes Alice to the cleaning supply closet, but Alice accidentally locks the door from the outside, trapping them inside. Luckily, a food delivery boy arrives, helping them get out of there.
Why Did Gwen Threaten To Sue Teddy?
As the food arrived, both Gwen and Alice started enjoying it while sharing personal life stories with each other. Alice revealed that she had fled from home due to her strict mother, who never allowed her to do anything, like watch horror movies or dye her hair. Alice decided to color her hair red as a symbol of her newfound independence. The hotel they were in was known as one of the most haunted places in the state, so Alice came there to experience the adventure she had always craved, knowing her mother wouldn’t be able to stop her. Upon hearing this, Gwen advised Alice to return to her mother, sharing her own longing for her family, who had tragically passed away. Gwen’s relationship with her strict mother wasn’t ideal, especially after her family, including her sisters, were killed by a man named Walton. She wished she could be reunited with them again.
Gwen suspected that Walton might be following her, as he had been in psychiatric confinement after the incident but had escaped two days ago. She received her butterfly locket, which he had taken from her the night of the tragedy, in the mail recently. This made her fear that he had returned and might be lurking around the hotel. Gwen urged Alice to lock her door before going to sleep to be safe. After talking to Gwen, Alice decided to reconcile with her mother and return home, leaving behind their feud. After dinner, as Gwen explored the hotel, she encountered the ominous figure near the abandoned pool once more. Additionally, seeing a little girl on the CCTV footage standing at the front door unnerved her, prompting her to realize she couldn’t stay there any longer for her own safety. She called Teddy, the hotel manager, to inform him about the haunting experiences, threatening to sue him for not telling her the truth. Teddy, however, insisted that the hotel couldn’t be haunted, as they had never encountered such incidents before. He decided to return to the hotel to investigate what had happened so that Gwen could have some company for the night.
Did Gwen Survive?
As night fell, a guest arrived at the hotel—the man Gwen suspected to be Walton, the murderer of her family. Despite her suspicions, Gwen knew she had to check him in. She led him to Room 8, which she had cleaned earlier, knowing there was a pair of scissors there. As the man locked the door behind them, Gwen’s horror reached its peak. She grabbed the scissors and, in a moment of panic, stabbed him in the neck. However, a shocking revelation soon emerged: he wasn’t Walton, but a man named Raymond, her doctor. Gwen herself had been in solitary psychiatric confinement after committing the horrific act of killing her mother and sisters. She had escaped from there just two days ago. Raymond had come to the hotel to check on her and administer medication, as her condition had worsened. He had also brought two men along to help take her to the hospital. The butterfly locket she wore was a haunting reminder of the night she committed the heinous act. Hearing this truth was overwhelming for Gwen, and she couldn’t believe it. In a state of frenzy, she used the scissors to silence Raymond by slicing his tongue. She then turned on the two men, viciously attacking them with the same weapon. Amidst the chaos, Alice, drawn by the shouting, entered the room only to witness the horrifying scene unfolding before her. Paralyzed by fear, she tried to flee, but Gwen, consumed by madness, grabbed an axe and struck her down. Gwen dragged the lifeless bodies of her victims to the pool sinkhole and disposed of them. When Teddy, the hotel manager, arrived and found Gwen near the pool, he approached her cautiously, but he was also dragged down in the sinkhole. In the end, Gwen survived, but the others did not.
During Night Shift‘s ending, we witness Gwen’s transformation from a night shift worker to the new manager of the hotel one year later. No one knows about the murders she has committed there. The once-eerie and foreboding establishment now exudes a vibrant and cheerful ambiance, adorned with bright pink colors and flamboyant flamingo statues. As a new guest arrives, Gwen leads him to the back of the pool area, where she humorously remarks about the giant sinkhole that was once there, suggesting it could fit up to five people. Assigning him to room number 8, the same room where the harrowing events unfolded, Gwen whimsically describes it as the “best room in the hotel,” masking the room’s dark history with light-hearted banter. This ending leaves viewers with a sense of unease, as Gwen’s playful demeanor contrasts sharply with the underlying tension and uncertainty that continue to plague the hotel. It suggests that while Gwen may have assumed control of the establishment, the ghosts of its past still loom ominously, ensuring that the horrors within are far from forgotten.
