Well over eighty of Stephen King’s stories have been adapted into either a film or miniseries. A whole lot of material selected, perhaps the most famous of them are 1976’s Carrie (directed by Brian De Palma), 1980’s The Shining (directed by Stanley Kubrick), 1983’s The Dead Zone (directed by David Cronenberg), and 1986’s Stand by Me (directed by Rob Reiner). With these being some of the most recognized, there are plenty more to pick from, and that includes 1990’s Graveyard Shift.
A film based on Stephen King’s 1970 short story of the same title, Graveyard Shift, was directed by Ralph S. Singleton (who historically has worked as a producer on such films as 1990’s Pet Sematary II). It also featured a talented cast of David Andrews (known for films such as 1994’s Wyatt Earp and 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), Stephen Macht (an accomplished actor recognized for films such as 1987’s The Monster Squad and 1992’s Amityville: It’s About Time), Andrew Divoff (famous for his role as the Djinn in 1997’s Wishmaster), Vic Polizos (who had a sensational career starring in a list of television series), Kelly Wolf (known for 1986’s Less Than Zero, among others) and the highly underrated Brad Dourif (known as the voice of Chucky in the Child’s Play franchise, but also countless other roles such as 1990s The Exorcist III).
With these names in place, you would think Graveyard Shift had a solid foundation to be a decent film, but sadly, critics panned it poorly. It is also allegedly one of Stephen King’s least favorite adaptations of his works. Factors that would lead you to believe Graveyard Shift is a must-pass, of course, these opinions matter, but sometimes you just need to judge something for yourself.
Released on October 26, 1990, Graveyard Shift actually faired quite well in its opening weekend, drawing in over $5,000,000. A factor that could have been because it was right before Halloween, it also bared Stephen King’s name in the title. It also had a pretty interesting theatrical poster of a skeleton wearing a mining hard hat with a light shining on the top that looked pretty terrifying. In truth, for some reason, this art felt vaguely reminiscent of the one seen on the theatrical post of 1981’s My Bloody Valentine. Keeping on this topic of promotional visuals, there was then the UK quad artwork, which showed a drawing of a man up to his mouth in the water, with a hoard of rats headed directly for him. In truth, these images are an immediate drawing element for dedicated Horror fans.
With all of that in mind, the story of Graveyard Shift takes place at an old, rat-infested textile mill. Here, you have overworked, underpaid staff who are forced into an inhuman working environment led by a ruthless foreman named Warwick (Macht). Desperate to keep the mill going, he hires a rat exterminator (Dourif) who may have taken in too many of the poisonous fumes over the years he spread to remove vermin. Trying to get everything under control, it soon revealed there was something even more dangerous and vile in the sub-basements of the mill that was quickly snuffing out the entire staff. It is time to put out the help wanted yet again…
In all, Graveyard Shift is entertaining enough that you do not turn the film off even halfway through. Feeling more like a made-for-tv-movie at times, you would have to say the acting by the cast is top-notch. This is especially the case with Stephen Macht, Brad Dourif, and Andrew Divoff, who all turn in emotional, intense performances. Joining them is a mood that is creepy, crawly, and claustrophobic enough to make it not nearly as bad as some might say.
Fortunately, it has had plenty of opportunities to find an audience over the years. It was first released on VHS and Laserdisc in 1991 and DVD in 2002, before additional releases later on, such as a Scream Factory Blu-ray edition in 2020. However, in 2025, Kino Lorber is offering Graveyard Shift for the first time in 4K Ultra HD.
The new release, made available as a 2-disc set on February 25, 2025, offers a shining transfer into 4K Ultra HD quality. Done so with HDR/Dolby Vision Mastering and a 4K scan from the 35mm original camera negative, it beams with even more contrast and depth than the 2020 2K scan.
Beyond this, the new 4K set also features a new piece of art on a nice slipcover, a reversible sleeve with classic theatrical art on one side, and several interesting interviews (all of which were part of the 2020 Blu-ray edition).
Overall, looking past what critics have to say, Graveyard Shift is worth revisiting if you have not seen it in thirty-plus years, and this new edition from Kino Lorber is the best option. That is why Cryptic Rock gives the 4K Ultra HD release 4 out of 5 stars.
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