February 12, 2025

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (2023) – Game for a devilish good scare?

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

latenightwiththedevil

This low budget but high impact horror treat is the brainchild of the Cairnes brothers. Cameron and Colin Cairnes wrote and directed this with an experimental approach. Although it has elements of the oft used “found footage” horror movie technique, it takes the genre one step further by showing us what is essentially the entire episode of an ill-fated late-night talk show aired live during Halloween in 1977. Before that we are given a quick background on the show’s host Jack Delroy’s rise to TV late-night talk show fame to the beginning of the descend on TV show ratings. In a desperate attempt to boost his show’s ratings he makes use of the Halloween period to invite a host of guests with supernatural skills to be on the live show. This include a girl that is supposedly possessed by an evil force!

Naturally things go horribly wrong. No spoilers there. It is the journey that we take to get from the innocent everyday normal beginning to the expected bloody mayhem that determine if this is worth the bother. Well, for horror fans, I would say “yes”, definitely as the film takes on unpredictable turns and gradually turns up the chills barometer with each passing moment. There is a sense of helplessness and feeling trapped as if we are forced to watch and witness the horror unfold much like the studio audience in the movie. This gave the movie a sense of involvement that other conventional horror movies struggle to achieve. The horror elements may be a bit cheesy but under the context of the plot they feel right at home. The sets, costumes, and colour tone of the entire movie were also very well coordinated to make the whole thing look convincingly like we are in the 1970’s era. David Dastmalchian who plays Jack Delroy the host with questionable involvement with the occult, gives a convincing portrayal of a typical late night talk show host.

My only complaint is that the ending felt a rushed, abrupt and inadequate especially given all the efforts leading to its bloody conclusion. Nevertheless, this is still a lot of fun for horror fans and feels original and fresh in its approach. At the same time, it also pays homage to the horror movies of the 70’s. Looking forward to more horror stuff from the Cairnes brothers.

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