Late Night with the Devil Review

Theatrical movie review - horror

Poster for Colin and Cameron Cairnes' LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.

If you ever run into me in the real world around awards season, you're going to hear me complain about Toni Collette's Oscar snub for Hereditary. After watching Late Night with the Devil from the brother team Cameron and Colin Cairnes, I expect I'll add David Dastmalchian to that rant because I think his performance will likely be one of the best we get this year. 

Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) is struggling in the ratings with his late night show. Despite his best efforts, he cannot beat Johnny Carson, and his frustration grows over the years. Following his wife Madeline’s (Georgina Haig) death, the show begins to falter even more until it is sweeps week in 1977, and it happens to fall on Halloween. He brings on popular medium Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) and skeptic Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss) to ignite some sparks. But his guests, June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and Lilly D’Abo (Ingrid Torelli), put on a show for which no one is prepared.

Ingrid Torelli, David Dastmalchian, and Laura Gordon in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.

I loved this movie. Possession horror tends to be my favorite genre, while found footage usually doesn’t work for me. However, somehow, the two manage to come together brilliantly in this film. The way the tension builds in Late Night with the Devil is exceptional, and the payoff is absolutely fantastic. 

The 70s aesthetic is executed to perfection. The late night banter almost feels like it was lifted from any show from that era. I will note that the movie's found footage aspect can be a bit off, with backstage conversations being recorded in ways that belie the idea that they are private. There is also a significant exposition dump at the beginning of the movie that goes on for longer than one might expect, but the way it pays off is so good that I will forgive the indulgence of the writers in that.

David Dastmalchian in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of Adam White. An IFC Films and Shudder release.

The true strength of this film is in the performances. It is evident that everyone is fully committed to this movie, which elevates it beyond many other possession movies. Torelli is utterly creepy in her performance of Lilly. As Gus, the hype man for Jack, Rhys Auteri manages to capture the sidekick role to perfection. But the true star is character actor Dastmalchian, who finally gets to shine in a leading role. The subtlety that he displays is jaw-droppingly good, and he manages to ride the line between monstrous and sympathetic with precision. 

As good as this movie was simply for the horror, I also appreciate the way that it looks at the shift in media at that time period. This film takes place in 1977, just three years before the dawn of CNN and 24 hour news. While sensationalism has always had its place in media, the landscape has increasingly moved toward keeping people engaged regardless of the cost to accuracy or safety. Late Night with the Devil takes that to extremes, but it made me wonder if a literal deal with the devil could provide consequences severe enough to help get things back on track.

@alisechaffinsMy review for Late Night with the Devil. Freaking LOVED THIS MOVIE. #moviereview #filmtok #foryou #latenightwiththedevil #horror #daviddastmalchian #ifcfilms #shudder

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This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on March 31, 2024.