By now, you must have read or heard something about this movie that you should watch as soon as possible. Late Night with the Devil has the rare honor of having 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for over two weeks. Now released in American theaters, this figure has dropped to 96%, which continues to consider it “fresh” in tomatometer and it makes it clear that this is one of the most interesting premises released this year. But besides this, the film, which has become a horror film curiosity, has left in history several curious events that accompany its triumph in the specialized press.
The film grossed $666,666 in its opening weekend, according to the release. Diversity. Which makes this not only a rarity, but also what seems like a high-end marketing joke. Only it’s not like that. As reported in various media, including the prestigious Vulture, the figure is real, and the film is a modest box office success. It’s in the middle of a much-hyped premiere. Ghostbusters: Ice Empire and phenomenon Irreproachable with Sydney Sweeney. This one, which resulted in a massive debate on social media due to its supposed blasphemous content, grossed $5.3 million against a budget of just $9 million.
The triumph of both films is not entirely unexpected and has become a trend to better understand the horror genre in the modern film world. Last year Tell me surprised by taking advantage of the TikTok experience in a chilling supernatural situation. Which allowed its directors, Australian YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippeshow how modern forms of communication respond to the inexplicable.
A new type of horror story
Australians Cameron and Colin Cairns are also trying something similar. Late Night with the Devil. The film, which tells the story of found footage footage from an old talk show, uses the reality TV formula to present its premise. Night Owls with Jack Delroyis a fictional show that aired in Canada at some point in the 1970s.
But after one fateful night, he went off the air. So now that, by a stroke of luck, an intact recording has been recovered, we return to the discussion of what really happened. Or rather, that it was released in the midst of possible disturbance by hidden forces.
If so, the premise may seem far-fetched or even contrived. But the director duo manages to create the feeling that this is not only a vision of the never-revealed truth about an important event, but also an exploration of the reason why it was hidden. Actually, the first minutes of the film dedicated to the proposal to be shown is in a complex context.
The cruel night phenomenon begins
The decade that the film explores is by no means the idyllic, spiritually questing one that Hollywood usually portrays. Wars, protests, screams. The film quickly makes it clear that the violence it will show is not only part of the unexplained phenomenon, but also part of what is happening around him. Hence Late Night with the Devil suggests that Jack Leroy’s program is an oasis in the midst of chaos. Or pretends to be so, from a superficial and exaggerated point of view.
Plus, lead Jack (David Dastmalchian) doesn’t have it all. Amidst the unbearable atmosphere of what is happening around him, he also suffers from all sorts of personal problems. The film then balances between presenting a horrific scenario and a lead who will do almost anything to get a confession. But more than that, a kind of instant celebrity, this may prevent it from continuing to be a second-rate, second-rate talk show.
Most of the first section night with the devil It is based precisely on making it clear that what will be seen is the result of greed. So much so that when the announced Halloween episode starts airing, it will become obvious that it will end badly. But the script – also from the directors – avoids the easy and distorts its premise in the midst of the awkward question of what to believe.
A live experience that ends badly
The same one, by the way, live broadcast. For the occasion, the artistic production brought in the psychic Christou (Faissal Bazzi), the rational and cynical side embodied by Hunt Carmichael (Ian Bliss), and the inevitable parapsychologist. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) behaves very similar to Lorraine Warren played by Vera Farmiga, only from a scientific point of view. But that’s where the differences end when he begins to explain his appropriately titled book. Conversations with the Devil “It’s clear where everything is leading.”
The script is flexible and clear when developing the premise. Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a guest who accompanies the pseudo-expert, will summon an evil being to demonstrate what she says about forced coexistence in a cult. The filmmakers manage to ensure that the program’s cheap aesthetic plays into the feeling that what is happening might have been a poorly planned stunt.
Horror movie that gives you goosebumps
So when things really get out of control – and the special effects create a sense of brutal reality – the film clearly shows his ambition and the proper use of resources. The writers also avoid giving definitive explanations or indications of which direction the plot is going. Everything happens organically and well planned in the midst of an increasingly chaotic situation.
One of the most important points is that the film manages to maintain a balance between a fundamental critique of instant fame and the desire to evoke fear. So, in addition to the known jump, scareand the commonplaces of the genre of things, the film dares to do more because it defies orders. Little by little, chaos spreads across the set, and it’s obvious that whatever is killing off the characters one by one, It’s brutal, savage, and far from weak Jack Leroy’s preconceived concept of evil.
Late Night with the Devil is a great experiment
By the final scenes, the film loses some of its frenetic ability to evoke disgust, fear and even laughter all at once. One of the biggest problems is that once the center of the plot is revealed, there are few surprises and the last half hour feels artificial. However, the ending is decent enough to overcome the film’s feeling of being artificially drawn out.
The beauty of A Night with the Devil is that it’s more than just a mash-up of genres. It’s also a solid story, supported by good execution and precise direction that avoids mixing or emphasizing ideas. What’s much better is that it makes flawless use of well-worn found footage. Perhaps the most interesting element of the room.
Source: Hiper Textual
