Night Shift

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Night Shift

R

1982

1h 46m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Chuck (Henry Winkler) has given up life as a stockbroker because it was too stressful. Now, he works an easy gig as a night shift attendant at a New York City morgue. His co-worker, Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton), on the other hand, is always looking to make a quick buck. When Bill finds out that Chuck's prostitute neighbor, Belinda (Shelley Long), needs a place to do her work, he convinces Chuck to turn the morgue into a brothel where they can work as her pimps.

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Critics Consensus

Night Shift bristles with pitch-perfect laughs thanks to Ron Howard's snappy direction and a side-splitting turn from Michael Keaton.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Oct 22, 2018

Winkler is perfect as the redeemed nerd, and Keaton is a super find, bristling with raw energy. Director Ron Howard sometimes takes the easy route to a laugh, drawing from his wealth of sitcom experience, but he also pays attention to his characters.

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Bruce McCabe

Boston Globe

Apr 27, 2018

Still, Howard's assured style and instinct for comedy keep "Night Shift" light and breezy for most of the time.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Apr 24, 2018

Night Shift makes it apparent that Howard acquired an enormous amount of savvy about comic staging and acting during those 20 years or so on the tube.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Aug 31, 2024

3/4

Keaton's epiphany over tuna fish sandwiches is beautiful to behold.

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Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

Aug 5, 2022

4.5/5

When the two stars of "Happy Days" reunited to make a movie about a mild-mannered young man who finds a way out of his crisis of masculinity, by becoming a pimp. (40th anniversary)

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Peter Sobczynski

The Spool

Jul 31, 2022

Unlike most of his subsequent features, Howard is not exactly striving for respectability here and Night Shift is all the better for it.

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Scott M

@RT75128960 Aug 9, 2026

Michael Keaton's breakout comedic performance. The guys is a blast to watch and made this film was it is. Henry Winkler as the comedy straight man to Keaton. Then you also have a really good story about how a guy's fear is wrecking his life. My favorite Ron Howard movie.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies May 16, 2026

I guess I have to defend this vastly under rated comedy, well at least with the audience response. Micheal Keaton gives the best movie acting debut of all time and I laugh out loud a lot even after 25 viewings. Ron Howard here shows what a talented, great director he would become. I love all the characters because Ron Howard is warm and great with actors. This is one of my all-time favorite comedies and Henry Winkler is awesome playing against type.

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Tim M

@tgmacman Mar 20, 2026

Night Shift makes a tough sell through the charisma of its stars, even if it isn't as lively as it ought to be.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Dec 10, 2025

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I just loved the story, and the vibe in general. I'm also a big fan of 80s movies, so this one definitely did it for me.

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Leanne M

@Diaminds Aug 24, 2025

Laughter and sorrow in this delightful piece of 1980s retro magic.

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Eye C

@ECinc Aug 5, 2025

Always it’s so fun to watch the 80s comedies. Michael Keaton stole the show big time.

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Ron Howard

Director

Henry Winkler

Chuck Lumley

Michael Keaton

Bill Blazejowski

Shelley Long

Belinda Keaton

Gina Hecht

Charlotte Koogle

Pat Corley

Edward Koogle

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Synopsis

Chuck (Henry Winkler) has given up life as a stockbroker because it was too stressful. Now, he works an easy gig as a night shift attendant at a New York City morgue. His co-worker, Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton), on the other hand, is always looking to make a quick buck. When Bill finds out that Chuck's prostitute neighbor, Belinda (Shelley Long), needs a place to do her work, he convinces Chuck to turn the morgue into a brothel where they can work as her pimps.

Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Brian Grazer
Screenwriter: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Ladd Company, Major Studio Partners
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 15, 2008
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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