Late Night With the Devil
March 20th, 2024
MOVIE: LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
STARRING: DAVID DASTMALCHIAN, LAURA GORDON, RHYS AUTERI
DIRECTED BY: CAMERON CAIRNES, COLIN CAIRNES
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
There is something incredibly comforting about Late Night With the Devil. Here is a movie, clearly made with a lower budget, starring an actor that deserves the spotlight more than most in David Dastmalchian, has phenomenal practical effects, and feels like one of the more original films in recent memory. It starts with the premise, a look back at footage from a 1970s late-night talk show, which took a turn for the worse during an on-air exorcism. The result is a horror movie that feels both nostalgic and unique. Late Night With the Devil is a scary movie you must tune into.
It begins with an intro about our host Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian) whose show Night Owl with Jack Delroy has consistently been one of the top three late-night shows, behind Johnny Carson. His career and show have often been on the obscure side, featuring guests such as a medium named Cristou (Fayssal Bazzi) or exotic snakes that climb up arms, something a bit different from what the stuffier shows have. We learn early on that Jack’s career had highs and then lows, especially when his wife passed away from cancer, and what is highlighted is a sweeps week, where Delroy was desperate for ratings to get a boost. In that desperation they have a collection of guests that welcome in an evil spirit, making it for one hell of a night of television.
The first guest of the show is Cristou using his powers to speak with the deceased related to members of the crowd. Sitting by Jack’s side is a myth-buster named Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss) spouting his distrust for all he witnesses, until Cristou seems to become possessed himself. It’s passed off as a dizzy spell but when author and demonologist June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) brings out young Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a girl who was already once possessed, things quickly go haywire for a live studio audience.
From the jump, Late Night With the Devil does an excellent job creating the aesthetic parts, as the credit belongs to directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes. The costumes all have this great vintage 70s look, highlighting browns, yellows, and maroons that look straight out of an Elmore Leonard novel. Then you add on top of that the set design which mimics those of Dick Cavett’s or a conversation between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley. Once the stage is perfectly set it helps the scary stuff execute on its own. Although there may be a suspension of belief, the screenplay has a grasp on the conflict of taking commercial breaks, what to believe, and the desperation of a late show in need of a ratings boost.
Even with all of those strong production parts helping, Late Night With the Devil succeeds greatly due to Dastmalchian’s personality and performance. The Suicide Squad and Dune actor was born for the role, with a luxurious head of hair, and a disposition that is both comforting and delightfully different. His work is great. That’s what Late Night With the Devil brings. A horror film that feels unique on its own, ushering a new kind of terror, merging the vintage and great spontaneity of live television. Maybe the devil is what our late-night time slots could use these days. I’d still like him more than Jimmy Fallon, that’s for sure.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS THIS FRIDAY MARCH 22ND, 2024.
3 ½ STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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