Horror flick with a haunting twist, not cheap jump scares
Late Night With The Devil (M18)
93 minutes, opens April 18, 2024
4 stars
Every now and then, a found footage-type horror flick hits the cinemas; and every now and then, horror fans everywhere groan with discontent at the often cheesy and predictable plotlines.
But once in a while, a film like Late Night With The Devil comes along with a slightly different approach to the subgenre.
The movie stars David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, a fictional 1970s late-night talk show host who dreams of usurping the throne of then-undisputed king of late-night television, Johnny Carson.
Despite relative success with his show, Night Owls, Delroy's world is shattered when his wife succumbs to terminal lung cancer, leading to a hiatus in production as he grieves.
Upon his return, Night Owls struggles to regain its former glory.
In a desperate bid to improve the show’s ratings, Delroy and his producer, Leo Fiske, plan a supernatural-themed Halloween special. The guest list includes a psychic, a former magician turned sceptic, and a teenage survivor of a satanic cult's mass suicide, rumored to be possessed by a demonic entity.
As you can expect, things turn ugly pretty quickly.
The story unfolds over the course of this Halloween episode, with the opening minutes of the film styled as a documentary digging into the horrific events that take place during the live broadcast.
Late Night With The Devil makes for an interesting and refreshing watch. It’s a bit of a slow burn and, unlike most found footage films, is largely devoid of cheap jump scares. Instead, the film builds tension and intrigue in the lead up to the inevitable disaster that the introductory scenes promise.
The cast also deserves a mention for delivering stellar performances.
Dastmalchian, best known for playing quirky characters like Polka-Dot Man in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, gives a notably impressive showing. Whenever the episode cuts to commercials, Dastmalchian effortlessly switches between his charismatic on-air personality and the unhinged person he becomes when the cameras aren’t live, willing to do anything to save his show.
Ingrid Torelli, who plays the possessed cult survivor, also perfectly portrays the creepy and disturbing vibe you’d expect from someone raised in seclusion by occultists. The way she eerily smiles while staring directly into the camera is enough to make anyone’s hairs stand on end.
That said, Late Night With The Devil is not exactly the type of horror movie that will have audiences cowering behind their popcorn boxes. Instead, it delves into the darker recesses of the human psyche, suggesting that the true danger lies within Delroy himself, tempted by wild ambitions and destructive impulses.
For those seeking an introspective exploration of the Faustian bargain, Late Night With The Devil delivers. But if you're after lingering scares, look elsewhere.
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