It seems slightly juxtaposed that as the nights get shorter and days longer, a slew of horror films find themselves creeping onto cinema screens in recent weeks. There is much to be discussed when it comes to the new era of horror, seemingly shepherded into multiplexes by Jason Blum and his company Blumhouse Productions, but that is perhaps a conversation for a different article.
Audiences might find it amazing in itself that Late Night With The Devil ever reached cinema screens, as a very noticeable parade of production companies (six in total) have their logos adorn the big screen before a single cell of the movie has even started.
Starring David Dastmalchian as late night talk show host Jack Delroy, the film is presented as a spliced up version of ‘lost master tapes’ and behind the scenes footage of Delory’s ‘Night Owls’ show filmed on 31 October 1977.
An on the nose introduction to the film, not only nudges and winks at viewers for what is to come, but instead telegraphs the main plot points that audiences should bear in mind for the next 90 minutes or so.
Constantly beaten in the ratings by “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson’, Delroy and his producer gamble on delivering a show that will not just earn him another contract, but finally place Delroy as the number one host on TV. Inviting a variety of supernatural acts and one particular curmudgeonly critic, the opening act of Late Night With The Devil builds the suspense on a constant simmer.
Nothing feels quite right in the best sense possible and punctuating the live show with black and white backstage footage, effectively heightens the unease through to the introduction of the show’s star attraction, Lily, a teenage girl seemingly possessed by a demon. Constant technical issues, guests that can’t be controlled and a nervous Delroy, so focussed on delivering a successful show that he ignores all the advice and signs slowly seeping into the production, envelop the audience into a delicious state of foreboding.
Throughout his career, Dastmalchian seems to have been drawn to roles that unsettle viewers, often as a bit part player, but with the chance to shine in a leading role, he flourishes. The forced one liners and over exaggerated reactions of a 70s chat show host are nailed during the live sections, while his anxiety and desperation off air layers his character’s development to the point viewers will find themselves questioning whether to root for Delroy and his quest for the spotlight. That is until directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes tell you which side you should come down on.
A special mention to relative newcomer Ingrid Torelli, who’s portrayal of the possessed Lilly is remarkable. Showcasing a thousand yard stare that lingers on the wrong side of creepy (or right side here…), a backstory of being born into an ill-fated Satanic Church and impressive physical performance, gives the film an anchor to revolve around.
Questions of morality and the cost of fame rear their heads throughout, meaning this isn’t just a paint by numbers possession film overly reliant on jump scares. Sure, some of the effects land in the b-movie territory of the decade the film is effectively set in, but if anything it feels somewhat charming and easily forgivable.
Confirmation by the directors that two small uses of AI art, is frustrating in an industry that should be heavily in support of human creativity, but should not mark the card of an otherwise well crafted and original horror film. The biggest point of criticism here occurs in its introduction video. With a little bit more nuance, the film’s final act could have played out with more suspense and suspicion, instead those able to connect the dots don’t have to work too hard for answers.
Breathing new life into not just the genre itself, but a twist on the overplayed “found footage” sub-genre that (ahem) wriggled its way into the industry over the past couple of decades, Late Night With The Devil will no doubt find itself among esteemed company as a cult favourite for years to come.
