Reviewed by Jon Barton

And so the wait comes to an end. I know I was looking forward to this, especially after seeing Date Rape. In retrospect Shit Happens is an unlikely success. The movie takes a long time to build, the ending is a twisted mix of nice animation, quirky camera angles and solid storytelling, contrasting enormously to that of the technically inferior second half, where no evidence of depth in scenery or backgrounds appeared at all. But what can you expect, this is a Jeff Ching film, and I sat down to watch this knowing this is not what I'd be looking for.

In Shit Happens, everything you need is in the story. And what a fantastic story it was, and somewhere along the line it makes sense to see the attraction in this drama if made in reality. Not only that but Ching succeeds on numerous levels, and the film does exactly what it says on the tin. The first half angers you, the second half intrigues and third is profoundly moving.

There was no part of me that regretted enjoying the movie. By the ending I had lost track of noting any sign of bad direction or animation, and the film was gripping enough for you to be entirely drawn in, by the characters and by the complex narratives that come together neatly. Having said that, even if I had been looking for it, Jeff still manages to increasingly make his film utterly compelling, drawing you in at every given moment. These moments only add to the overall entertainment value of the movie. While Shit Happens is arguably also a comedy, I found myself completely effected by the story, and in particular elements are incorporated into the film's finale to create an ultimately moving and fantastic piece of work.

Somewhere along the line I got worried about the movie, drifting dangerously close to losing my attention. But when Shit Happens gets going, it really gets going, smacking you in the face doubly with the values Ching addresses. There is no part of me that does not feel touched, moved and challenged by this drama. Ching has only gone and made his wonderfully balanced and incredibly entertaining film with ease and success. Proof of the pudding: a winning formula is always the best. This was worth the wait.

9/10