Late Night with the Devil (2024)

“Late Night with the Devil” stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart. Released at the SXSW festival on March 10, 2023, followed by a worldwide release on March 22, 2024, the film has a talk show host experiencing a chaotic interview during a live broadcast.

The film was written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, who also directed “100 Bloody Acres” and “Scare Campaign”. When you’re doing a live broadcast, knowing that anything could go wrong during recording is important. The same goes for late-night talk shows. While it’s fun to watch interviews way past our curfew, there can be instances where specific mistakes or “incidents” can interrupt our good time. This talk show is no exception, although this particular incident is something that people will remember for a very long time…if they survive long enough to tell the tale. This weekend brought us two low-budget horror films hoping to put audiences in a frightening mood amid the modern blockbusters like Ghostbusters and “Godzilla x Kong”. One of those movies I’m talking about today is a low-budget, 1970s-style outlook of televised success gone awry that premiered in last year’s South by Southwest Film Festival to rave reviews. Even horror author Stephen King adored it, indicating we might be in for a nightmarish treat. With this chilling broadcast finally reaching theaters worldwide, does it live up to its shockingly frightening expectations? Let’s find out.

The story centers on Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), the host of a successful 1970s variety and late-night talk show, Night Owls with Jack Delroy. However, Jack’s show has recently experienced low ratings due to the passing of his beloved wife, Madeleine (Haig). Determined to turn his career around, Jack plans a Halloween special during the show’s sixth season by hosting an interview with Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Gordon), a parapsychologist and author. Accompanying June are former magician turned skeptic Carmichael the Conjurer (Bliss), psychic Christou (Bazzi), and sole survivor Lilly (Torelli), the subject of June’s book. When he discovers that Lilly houses a supernatural being inside her, Jack decides to make contact with it live on camera to boost his show’s ratings. Unfortunately, his stunt instead unleashes chaotic consequences that put everything and everyone at risk of permanent cancellation. 

Shudder has an impressive track record of delivering plenty of compelling horror films that dare viewers to watch them late at night. In fact, some of them were more unsettling than the ones from Blumhouse. Unfortunately, I hadn’t gotten around to watching any of the films from Shudder, mainly because they’re only available on its streaming service. Fortunately, with my schedule cleared up, I finally found the time to expose myself to Shudder’s creepy collection, starting with the one that managed to play at my go-to cinema. I know there were other great movies from the streaming service for me to start with, but I thought it would be even better to watch “Late Night with the Devil” in the theater with an audience. Unsurprisingly, I made the right choice. Regarding its 70s-style concept and possession horror aspect, I knew I would be in for a horrifically insane treat, but I was genuinely shocked to see how much of an impact it left on me as a horror watcher.

With its combination of transmission and behind-the-scenes footage, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a terrifyingly dark and authentic experience involving Jack’s quest to regain his show’s popularity. It resembles what we see on late-night television in the 1970s, mixed with its documentary-like editing by the Cairnes brothers, adding to the presentation’s authenticity. So, you can say that it’s another found-footage horror movie that relies on its buildup to create an unnerving sense of discomfort until it hits hard with its finale. Found footage has been getting a bad rep recently because it is seen as a cheap gimmick to earn an easy paycheck, but some movies use it to enhance the narrative and even the terror they provide to substantial effect. I’m happy to say that “Late Night with the Devil” is another superb example of this exercise, which is enough to keep the filmmaking gimmick and the demon possession element on the air.

Colin and Cameron Cairnes have continued to prove themselves as another face of horror filmmaking, not just through their screenplay, which impressively utilizes its genre tropes and themes, but also their vision. With their vintage-like editing skills on display and the production designs matching the corny period energy, the Cairnes brothers flawlessly crafted the authenticity of showbiz cheesiness that they committed to 100%. More importantly, it’s balanced tremendously with its unnerving imagery brought to discomforting life by its amazing effects, both practical and digital, especially its finale. I also heard that the movie used AI to create three still images, which has caused plenty of controversy. From my perspective, it doesn’t bother me that much since it’s just those three images. If it were used for a scene or an entire movie, then I would be concerned. Besides that, the Cairnes brothers have crafted a near-perfect blend of corny humor and terror that succeeds on both fronts.

Of course, the filmmakers weren’t the only people who fully committed to its tone, as the cast delivered one heck of a show with their performances. David Dastmalchian took center stage as the TV host eager to get back on top, and the result is an absolute showstopper. Dastmalchian strongly portrays a character who’s charming and entertaining when he’s on the air but also intimidating when he’s not, mainly due to his overwhelming desperation for success. With a personality as attention-grabbing as Jack’s, it’s no wonder Dastmalchian continues to surprise me in his filmography. Laura Gordon and Ian Bliss also did incredibly well in their roles of June Ross-Mitchell and Carmichael, respectively. I would also credit Ingrid Torelli for upping the creepiness meter regarding her spooky performance as Lilly, especially the scenes involving the devil inside her. 

Overall, “Late Night with the Devil” televised the horror revolution with its delightfully creepy vibes and sublime display of talent and vintage frights. It’s far from a perfect ratings hit regarding its genre elements, but the movie utilized them to the best of its ability to create a uniquely immersive experience that balances authenticity with terror. It also serves as another forewarning examination of how far someone would go to gain success in the industry that benefited from the Cairnes brothers’s superb direction and screenplay. Combine them with its strong cast, including Dastmalchian’s show-stopping performance, and riveting visual effects, and you get a shocking television event that truly earned its title. I would even say it’s the best horror film I’ve seen so far this year. It’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of demon-possession movies or found-footage films in the theater or on the Shudder streaming service. But be warned that the footage you plan to watch isn’t for the faint of heart.

A-