'Late Night with the Devil' Review: '70s Style and Satanic Panic Horror

There's a maddening magic to late-night television, where the stars shine before an applauding live audience and the rules of decorum seem relaxed in a cool, clean, studio-living room-style setting. We know each guest is there to promote themselves and their latest product, but between the matter-of-fact smiles and sly banter, something genuine and unrefined (even shocking) can emerge as the Witching Hour approaches. . Celebrate the slippery, surreal outside of television. Late night with the devilAn elegant and chilling horror film where talk shows and horror collide.

Writer-directors Cameron Cairns and Colin Cairns (also known as the Cairns Brothers) place their film precisely in the sweet spot of 1977. On television, Johnny Carson was the king of the night with his broad smile and sharp wit, a messenger lovely for everyone. Hollywood and its frenzy to chase fame. Just as Carson graciously extended his living room into ours, so did the homemade horrors of '70s cinema. Terrifying images like Carrie AND Exorcist Viewers are horrified by the twisted stories of seemingly innocent young women who are irrevocably tilted toward evil and disaster before our eyes.

with Late night with the devilThe Cairns Brothers bring together these worlds of fear and fun in a thrilling, simple, mean and sickly satisfying ride.

that Late night with the devil About?

Character actor David Dastmalcian (suicide squad, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania) Jack Delroy turns heads as a talk show host. A brash talent with a gift for gab, his show could have rivaled Carson's late-night choking, when a personal tragedy the previous year broke Jack's heart and derailed the show's popularity. Desperate to resurrect fallen prospects, he plans a Halloween spectacle the world will never forget.

Jack, a psychopath (he could be a con artist) and a professional skeptic (who lives to cause trouble), records a controversial interview with a mysterious young woman. Lily (Ingrid Torelli) was once part of a satanic cult dedicated to a dangerous demon. As soon as they smoke, she is the only survivor. Now, under the care of her guardian/therapist (Laura Gordon), Lily has arrived late at night to share her story… and her special friend, Mr.

Late night with the devil A setback at best.

David Dastmalchian hosts the talk show “Late Night with the Devil.”
Credit: IFC Films and Shutter

Seeding their stories as precursors to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, the Cairns Brothers instill a sense of foreboding in their Heb audience familiar with wild rumors about devil worshipers, ghosts, ghosts, and ghosts. Pairs of pigs will follow. The antecedents of moral panic and paranoia are naivety crossed by penetrating fear. What better cozy bubble to pierce than the cozy atmosphere of a celebrity talk show?

Clever production design carefully recreates this era. Warm but muted tones of browns, yellows and oranges swirl around the ensemble. In an age where smart suits and denim overalls make guests look innocent and cheerful, a teenage girl enters dressed like a doll instead of a supermodel.

Meanwhile, cinematography dates back to the video era, without any of the drawbacks of analog…EITHER It could be a warning that something is wrong. All of these details capture the era so accurately that if you don't recognize the actors, you could be wrong. Late night with the devil A forgotten cult classic, the formal genre found on once-beloved VHS tapes.

However, the tone of the most important topical talk show of the time. With a cheerful bravado, Dasmalchian acts as the unwavering host. Whether flashing a fake smile at the crowd or joking with rowdy guests, it feels deeply rooted in this lively sense of entertainment and salesmanship. Basing the first act on the familiar truths of a '70s talk show, the Cairns Brothers and Tastmalcian tease us as they raise hell.

Late night with the devil It offers restrained but merciless horror.

David Dastmalchian in “Late Night with the Devil” by Colin Cairns and Cameron Cairns.
Credit: IFC Films and Shutter

Be careful: this film does not skimp on its ghostly spectacle Carrie EITHER ExorcistIt featured buckets of pig blood and loud vomit, respectively. But that's part of the film's appeal. I like Romero's sonIt is an atmospheric drink full of emotional shock. Don't be angry; there I'm going to eat Bursts of bile, blood and some climactic carnage. However, those bad parts wouldn't be so difficult if it weren't for the dramatic tension happening behind the scenes of Jack's victim talk show.

In a sense, Dastmalchian had to take on two roles: a consummate professional disaster and a personal disaster. Beneath his tailored suit is a trembling heart that yearns for more than just big ratings because of this demonic publicity stunt. He longs to prove that there is something more than this life, something beyond. He will risk anything, even his soul, in pursuit of this revelation.

Dasmalchian often played creepy men (cf. Prisoners) and humorous criminals (choose one Ant ManAny Ant Man). Even when Jack performs well for the studio camera, his trademark intensity stirs beneath the surface. A confused fire of grief, hope, and ambition flashed in his eyes. And this is reflected in the carefree look of a little girl who claims to be possessed by a demonic spirit. They are a match made in heaven, not hell. Seeing their faces in person is exciting fun.

Paying tribute to the terror of the 70s, Late night with the devil Immersed in the aesthetics of the time and its growing moral anxiety, as well as in a systematic rhythm that attracts us, grabs us tightly and does not let go until that uncomfortable final moment. Tune in and wait. Dasmalcian and his demon are coming for you.

Late night with the devil Now streaming on Hulu.

Update: October 15, 2024, 3:03 pm EDT “Late Night with the Devil” was reviewed at its world premiere at SXSW 2023. This article was originally published on March 11, 2023 and has been updated to reflect the latest viewing preferences.