Review | Tune in for terror on ‘Late Night with the Devil’
From Colin and Cameron Cairnes, “Late Night with the Devil” evokes terror with a side of camp as David Dastmalchian shines in the lead role. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer
Live broadcasts in movies are a recipe for disaster. When the miked-up producer proclaims, “And we’re live in five…four…three,” prepare for an inevitable catastrophe after he hits one.
On-air mishaps include Albert Brook’s violent case of flop-sweats in “Broadcast News,” Peter Finch’s declaration of suicide in “Network” and an overall violation of human ethics in “The Truman Show.” Not even The Muppets could host a successful live telethon without an oil magnate foiling their plans.
The most recent installation of the live broadcast fiascos on film raises the stakes higher than ever, introducing occultism, supernatural elements and beloved character actor David Dastmalchian into the mix. From the minds of brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, “Late Night with the Devil” conjures the volatile yet enticing nature of live television where anything can go wrong and ratings conquer all.
Presented as an investigative documentary, a deep-toned narrator (Michael Ironside) introduces us to our new friend for the next 86 minutes, Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), who has charmed audiences for six seasons on his late-night variety show, Night Owls. Despite his chipper charisma and professionalism, the host is a permanent silver medalist to his competitor, Johnny Carson.
A year has passed since Delroy lost his wife Madeline to lung cancer, and Night Owl’s ratings have plummeted. Desperate to return to his former glory, Delroy plans a special slate of zany guests for Halloween night, 1977: an eccentric medium, Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), a narcissistic magician turned skeptic, Carmichael the Conjurer (Ian Bliss), a parapsychologist, June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), and her teenage subject Lilly D’Abo (Ingrid Torelli), who is said to be connected to a demon coined Mr. Wriggles.
Before the show begins, the narrator reminds us that the tape we’re about to see was recovered from the tragic evening, accompanied by exclusive behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage shot during commercial breaks. And we’re live in five…four…three.
The overall concept seems like two thumbs up on paper, but “Late Night with the Devil” truly shines thanks to its tight script, stellar cast and ability to ride the line between campy and terror with precision. The initial framing device goes on far too long — made entertaining by the silky low-octave voice of the narrator — but once Night Owls begins, it’s all systems go.
After portrayals of an anarchist in “The Dark Knight,” a Russian ex-con in “Ant-Man” and a polka-dot adorned not-so-super-hero in “The Suicide Squad,” Dastmalchian proves he can step out of the supporting role and lead a movie. He’s credible as a suave and affable late-night host but gives Delroy a subtle layer of desperation and a tinge of sadness needed to become a dynamic central figure. “Late Night with the Devil” hinges on his performance, and he not only delivers but also elevates the overall film with his presence.
The entire supporting cast is not far behind. Bliss as Carmichael the Conjurer is the character you love to hate, thanks to his superiority complex and prideful put-downs. Gordon exudes the anguish of someone caught in the middle as a devoted caretaker/psychologist, but D’abo steals the doctor-patient scenes while doing her best Reagan MacNeil impression. Rhys Auteri deserves a lot of credit for his performance as Delroy’s sidekick Gus McConnell, who takes on the role of lovable loser — and you never want to be the lovable loser in a horror film.
The Carines brothers do a fantastic job navigating the broadcast. There’s a nice cohesion in how they bounce from segment to segment and give each act their moment to move the plot along and evoke discomfort in the process. There’s an inherent limit in the form — how crazy can things actually get before they simply shut off the broadcast? — but they push the envelope as far as possible in a feasible manner. You feel the stakes rising, and you never know quite where you’re going, but it’s a fun ride. The destination, on the other hand, is less promising.
As with many horror films, “Late Night with the Devil” has a third-act problem. There are two reasons.
The first is that it chooses to stray from what I thought made the film so successful in the first place. Its strength is terror in a grounded setting, and the directors choose to take a more metaphysical approach to cap things off. The second is that there’s a key plot twist that feels buried in the moment. It’s quite pivotal to the overall understanding of the film, and it deserves a second-longer of attention and consideration.
The BTS moments were another source of letdown. They’re intended to introduce the Night Owl producer Leo Fisk (Josh Quong Tart), who pushes the show to continue despite the mayhem. However, I thought they established enough motivation behind Delroy to accomplish justification for why the show must go on.
Shot in black-and-white, these BTS moments disrupt the form and flow. The camera quality is also just as good as the live broadcast, so these scenes don’t feel as invasive or exclusive as intended, despite the hand-held movement. One could argue these scenes are present to help establish how characters act off-camera, but I would have loved to have seen this through a stationary shot of the stage as everyone scrambled around during breaks.
To address the elephant in the room, this film does contain the use of three “We’ll be right back” interstitials generated by artificial intelligence (AI) — a heavy topic of debate during strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
On one hand, there are plenty of hard-working creatives on the film who had no say on the decision that will suffer because of this. On the other hand, it’s important to draw a line in the sand so that AI interstitials don’t evolve into AI backgrounds, AI dialogue or AI actors. It’s important to keep this in mind before choosing to see the film or pass.
“Late Night with the Devil” is a classic example of how a genre film can amass the limits of a small budget through committed performances, a smart story and good old-fashioned practical effects. Whether in the theater or on Shudder on April 19, the film is a rewarding experience for those who seek an inventive type of horror amidst a flood of franchise reboots and legacy sequels.
