David Dastmalchian is a name you probably don't recognise, but if you see his face, you'd instantly remember a few roles he has held over the years, with a more recent successful career as he enters the blockbuster realm a little more. Though Late Night with the Devil is no blockbuster title, instead it is a smaller budget film with a lot of soul that pursues the idea of what a film can actually be. Going beyond the grand and visually impressive and back into the past in which films could be something focused more on a limited cast, simple set of locations, and some really fun performances. I had heard of the film's title a few weeks ago, but I didn't look at it beyond this, my assumption over it was that it might be something that just isn't for me, being more on the horror side of things and not something I really enjoy. But I think I was heavily wrong, and to be honest, the first thing I enjoyed was the moment I had hit play and noticed it had a fairly normal runtime around 90 minutes. Finally! More films that respect your time and don't need to go overboard with everything!
Late Night with the Devil is a film that came out at a relatively odd time, a spring release rather than an autumn release. Though releasing to horror and thriller streaming service Shudder, it makes a lot of sense for it to throw out original productions all year round for those with a thirst for the thrills and supernatural. Even from here I can say that this is a film worth checking out, being incredibly unique and putting a lot of modern Hollywood to shame with how it operates. Being a compelling narrative with a whole lot of style. I am reminded of an episode that I saw recently on Shudder's platform, a Creepshow episode in which demons are summoned live on television, an outcome that results in chaos in the studio as it all airs to the nation. I felt a lot of similarities with this film, though I much appreciated the way this film turned out in comparison. Late Night with the Devil is unlike most films you'll find today, and that alone already gives it a massive advantage over the other spring releases, both big budget and smaller.
This review may feature the odd spoiler here and there, though I will refrain from mentioning major plot points. Read on at your own discretion, however.
Late Night with the Devil
Late Night with the Devil is a film that introduces us to our protagonist, a character that is a late night show host with a bit of an odd cultish history to him. With the misfortunate of losing his loved one and struggling to maintain his ratings and career, he falls a bit off before attempting a bit of a revival. With this revival, he invites certain figures to speak on live on the television while conducting more and more questionable acts. To begin with, this starts with a reading from a psychic that goes into the audience, at first starting the generic material in which he roams through names, dangling name bait into the crowd until someone bites with a similarly sounding name that pertains to a relative. On the other side is a sceptic that refutes everything that is happening throughout the film. Things continue to become a bit more real as time goes on, though the sceptic never really falls for any of it. I think his character contributes some contrast to the whole film, being the essential balance that serves as a counter to the supernatural elements. Making the film seem more like a real interview that we are watching from the past.
The film does play off its narrative in this manner. As if it's a recording from the 1970s on tape. The time in which film was used and nothing was really digital. I think the 1970s aesthetic is great, adding to the world building of the film. Even in the audio and visuals it has that dated appeal, slightly low quality and muffled microphones, and the film grain and darker tones of the 70s style, down to the fashion and hairstyles in its characters. This whole talk show foundation gives the film a very comedic undertone, everyone generally quite charismatic and joyful in their dialogue, even as they talk to each other, throwing out light jokes and giving humour with a little bit of self-deprecation. Again, some great contrast to the more serious elements of the film that begin to be displayed as the supernatural side gains more intensity. Much of the film relies on the atmosphere rather than true scares, and it's incredibly effective. I love how it manages to continue that feeling that we are watching some tape of an event that took place decades ago.
What I really liked is how the film paces itself, it takes a while for the momentum to get going, giving us the typical introduction of a late night show as the characters interact with each other, going from being live to taking short breaks, to which the cinematography changes to black and white and with more shake to it, to imply the behind the scenes perspective from the crew. Then as the show goes live again, colour returns. We see the characters as themselves in such moments, little elements of personality in them that differ from the charismatic show host attitude we mostly see. It shows us their actual thoughts, their pursuit to take things to another level to sell the show and gain more viewers. I really enjoyed how that added to the story and gave the pacing more time, allowing the more atmospheric moments to be more impactful before reaching its climax. This is also where the film starts to use a little more visual effects, though the filmic look from the 70s makes it work really well.
I'd say this film is definitely worth watching. It's something that feels really fresh in this era. A film that seems like it would've been made a few decades ago by some indie production company. I think it shows that some streaming services actually have what it takes to revive certain genres within film, to distance itself from the typical Hollywood structure that has taken over the cinema. Though, of course, this takes us to the comfort of our homes, where unfortunately we don't always get that cinema experience. And this is a film that definitely would shine in the cinema, where we really are an audience, sitting, watching the story unfold. That said, I think this is well worth the watch. And some of that feeling of being the live audience may work in the feeling of being at home, watching live television, albeit not the same. Definitely check this out!
