Classic Halloween Frights Abound in Charming Late Night with the Devil (2024)
Title: Late Night with the Devil
First Non-Festival Release: March 19, 2024 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Writer: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Runtime: 93 Minutes
Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) is host of Night Owls, an evening talk show which has slowly been declining in popularity since its inception. After losing his wife Madeleine (Georgina Haig) to a particularly nasty battle with cancer, it looks like Jack’s unraveling will continue to escalate. On Halloween Night in 1977, Jack’s show features a variety of gimmicky guests as he always does. Among the guests are a psychic (Fayssal Bazzi), a professional skeptic and gifted hypnotist (Ian Bliss), and a paranormal researcher (Laura Gordon) and her supposedly possessed adopted daughter Lilly (Ingrid Torelli). What starts as a lively show turns into something more sinister when it turns out the guests aren’t lying about their vocations.
A disorienting commune with the supernatural, Late Night with the Devil is a technically astute paranormal horror.
A standard setup for horror leads into something special thanks to the particularly charming approach to storytelling Late Night with the Devil takes. Rolling out like a late-night broadcast, Late Night with the Devil uses a pseudo-found footage strategy to make its audience believe it is watching the events unfold in real time, complete with commercial breaks and unintentional behind-the-scenes footage. As the supernatural horror becomes more apparent, the show morphs into something inescapable where Jack himself is begging audiences to turn off the television and not let evil into their homes tonight. It’s a charming and largely effective device.
Jack is a fascinating character that mirrors many people’s complicated adoration and skepticism of stars they idolize. Throughout the night, Jack’s charming midwestern attitude is forced to contend with the evil of the devil, and the reality of his own choices. Learning more about the events that lead to Madeleine’s death changes Jack, as a new light is shined upon him. The facade of a hard-working, aw-shucks aspiring star is replaced by a cynical husk of a man willing to do whatever it takes to be famous. Jack certainly gets what he asked for, even if it isn’t pretty or exactly how he thought. Without the slow removal of his disarming personality, Late Night with the Devill wouldn’t be nearly as effective.
David Dastmalchian leads Late Night with the Devil with confidence and poise, making Jack’s dizzying descent into supernatural terror exciting and terrifying. Imbuing all the charm, and sometimes smarm, of a beloved late night tv host, Dastmalchian plays Jack with an easy-going attitude. Confident yet never cocky, witty but never a show-off, and thoughtful without shying away from difficult conversations, he allows the layers of Jack to come alive naturally. His facial expressions tell just as much of the story as the breaks in his voice when experiencing something fantastic. Dastmalchian plays off his co-stars well, being generous but always taking lead in ensuring the supernatural and Jack’s tragic downfall are front-and-center.
It’s impossible to not discuss the film’s egregious use of generative artificial intelligence, as it did ignite a firestorm of controversy upon its release. Roughly three interstitial images interspersed between commercial breaks show the same disappointing slop regurgitated across social media timelines that spits in the face of artists of all kinds. Not only are the images poorly rendered and lack charm, they also barely fit the aesthetic of the late night show they are meant to embody. A stupid and bad choice that insults the integrity of the film itself and industry as a whole, these decisions cannot go unquestioned if you care about art.
A pretty standard yet incredibly well-executed indie horror, Late Night with the Devil delivers satisfying chills for those seeking a confrontation with the devil. A captivating story and incredible lead performance make Late Night with the Devil a sure-fire hit for horror aficionados and casual genre fans alike. Other than its egregious use of generative AI, Late Night with the Devil hits all the marks it needs to hit for a satisfying haunter. It’s easy to relive Halloween, 1977 if you want. Just get your remotes, turn on your television, and switch the channel to Shudder for the most infamous episode of Night Owls.
Overall Score? 7/10
