‘Late Night with the Devil’ Movie Review: David Dastmalchian’s Late-Night Terror Show Is A Devilishly Good Time
Photo from IFC Films/Shudder
From Jeff Nelson
Talk show television hosts have the power to reach audiences far and wide in the comfort of their living rooms, discussing the latest in all things news, politics, entertainment, and more. Late Night with the Devil is a self-aware genre-bending horror picture that plays with television and film tropes within a smoothly-paced blast from the past.
Set in the 1970s, talk show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) struggles to keep his program and life afloat among sinking ratings and the tragic loss of his loving, supportive wife. He plans a Halloween night special with extra special guests, including a paranormal expert (Laura Gordon) and a supposedly possessed teen girl (Ingrid Torelli). The night devolves into utter terror and chaos.
Writer/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes situate their narrative within the 1970s, highlighting a time of unrest, violence, and fear, which the medium of television capitalized on. The talk show circuit acts as a source of chaos and comfort, introducing the host as a guest in homes across the country. Late Night with the Devil frames its story as a mockumentary of sorts, following Jack’s life leading up to the fateful Halloween broadcast.
Television station UBC’s Night Owls has a rise-and-fall narrative that establishes the stakes of the show’s success. Jack yearns for his career to take a turn for the better, forcing him to make tough decisions with increasingly ominous impacts. The broadcast is cut with behind-the-scenes footage that provides greater insight into the off-camera disarray. This last-ditch effort to end up on top leads to the familiar narrative of a paranormal skeptic encountering more than they bargained for.
If you’re searching for big scares to make you sleep with the lights on, you aren’t going to find that here. Rather, it has the sense of a segment from the V/H/S horror anthology, except it’s far superior to the majority of the franchise’s entries. Hints from cheesy 1970s talk-show television are there, generating a fitting atmosphere within its single location.
Dastmalchian makes an excellent talk show host as Jack. He has the charisma and screen presence required to make it work. Late Night with the Devil wisely anchors itself within this performance. The third act isn’t anything horror audiences haven’t seen before, but there’s sufficient violence and entertainment value packed in.
Late Night with the Devil is a well-crafted midnight genre offering centered around television sensationalism and exhibitionism with a playful balance of dark comedy and horror. Some of the visual effects fall short, but Dastmalchian’s pitch-perfect performance carries the film through its minor missteps. There’s a lot to enjoy about this nostalgic twist on the supernatural sub-genre that is punchy, vibrant, and stimulating.
Rating: 3.5/5
Late Night with the Devil hits theaters on March 22nd, 2024, before it streams on Shudder starting on April 19th, 2024.
