A horror delight, Late Night with the Devil was a magnificent stylised feature with a devilishly entertaining narrative. Set over the course of one fateful evening, this horror flick takes you on a journey of charisma, thrill and nail biting tension.
In 1977 a live television broadcast goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.
From the opening scene I was in awe of the detailed sets and props which authentically transported me to the year of 1977, each element of this film was harnessed to engulf the audience into the past. Late Night with the Devil tells the fictional story of Jack Delroy, renowned late night talk show host and the downfall of his successful career. On halloween night in 1977, Jack accidentally unleashed evil onto this guests and audience.
Late Night with the Devil is a rare example of a simplistic horror movie that hides its true intention until the very end. We are encouraged throughout to sit back and relax as we witness an insight into the past. This horror film is one of the most original concepts I have seen in a very long time, each element complimented one another and ultimately created a realistic world on screen. I believed Jack Delroy was real and I wanted nothing more than to learn the truth behind his successes and fame.
Late Night with the Devil could be considered a ‘slow burner’, as the true gore and horror doesn’t appear until the final quarter of the feature. In saying that, this film retained my attention and engagement from the very beginning. I was hooked and drawn into the story from the first moments thanks to the exceptional execution but most of all the charismatic performance from David Dastmalchian. You may know Dastmalchian from The Suicide Squad (2021) or Prisoners (2013) but this film is easily his greatest performance to date, he melted into the role and truly embodied the soul of Jack Delroy; I was invented into his character and that is thanks to Dastmalchian’s charm and approach to the role.
Late Night with the Devil was written and directed by Australian brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes While the movie is entirely fictional, it still appears to draw inspiration from real aspects of 1970s pop culture; like the original "Exorcist" film and "The Don Lane Show”. I adored this sense of realism which continued through the film, it was borderline a documentary thanks to its hand held camera moments and fly on the wall moments.
To conclude, Late Night with the Devil was easily one of my personal favourite watches of 2024. I was completely immersed into the world of Jack Delroy and found the execution of the film to be precise and fascinating, there is just something about the 70s that speaks to me aesthetically. I cannot recommend this film enough for horror lovers, it is one of the best supernatural thrillers I have seen in a long time.
4/5 Probe Points
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This next paragraph contains spoilers about the end of Late Night with the Devil, please proceed with caution. You have been warned. To briefly analyse the ending, it can be assumed that the sudden emergence of the demon and its familiarity with Jack means this whole scenario was planned. Jack’s involvement with ‘The Grove’ ultimately leads to the sacrifices of those around him, it is clear by the end of the film that Jack’s successful TV host career is because of his deal with the devil. The price Jack had to pay, was his wife’s life and ultimately, his friends too.
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