Film Review: ‘Late Night with the Devil’ is a Haunting Experience Bursting with Originality

By and large, found footage horror has seen its moment pass. Aside from some of the recent V/H/S installments that have been a bit on the clever side, we mostly haven’t seen anything new in a while. So, when along comes something like Late Night with the Devil, it’s truly exciting. Not only does it tinker with the format to have it serve its own devilish purposes, there’s also a riveting performance at its core to go along with creative filmmaking. The result is one of the bigger genre surprises of the year.

Late Night with the Devil managed to surprise the hell out of me. I went in curious enough, since even though found footage rarely blows me away anymore, I still tend to like it more often than not. So, to see that it’s a more playful and darker take on that, combined with a demonic story that actually invests you in what’s happening, actually leaves you shaken. Considering how much the filmmakers do with modest means, it’s a truly impressive work.

Presented, after a faux biographical intro (narrated by Michael Ironside), as a live television broadcast in 1977 of a late night show, we’re introduced to Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). Jack is the host of Night Owls, a well-liked show that nonetheless is in the shadows of Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show. Having recently tragically lost his wife, Jack has returned to host the show, though the writing seems to be on the wall six seasons in. So, desperate times have called for more desperate measures. The result is a Halloween taping of Night Owls, which we’re shown the master footage of.

Jack has a spooky show planned for Sweeps Week. First up is psychic Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), who attempts to read the audience, to mixed results. However, the first signs of something creepy has reared its head. Then, he brings on Carmichael the Conjurer (Ian Bliss), the ex-magician turned debunker and skeptic, to debate Christou. However, the main event is Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), who has written the book Conversations With the Devil and brought along the teenage subject, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli). After some back and forth between Carmichael and June, Jack and his producers begin to insist that the doctor have the girl conjure up that demon she’s supposedly possessed by, the ominously named Mr Wiggles. To say what happens next would spoil the fun, but things go sideways in a very creative manner. 

David Dastmalchian has never been better than he is here. He’s so good playing Jack, investing you in this fame-hungry talk show host, that you’re as into the actual show machinations as the horror element. Dastmalchian is riveting to watch, especially as he becomes as shocked by what’s going on as anyone else. He especially turns it on at the end, when it really becomes about him in a whole other way. Ian Bliss is solid as the smarmy skeptic, while Laura Gordon and Ingrid Torelli give some nice layers to their smaller parts. Supporting players, aside from the aforementioned Fayssal Bazzi, include Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, Josh Quong Tart, and more.

Filmmakers Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes manage to keep the movie from running out of gas, which is saying something. They layer in some early elements, like the men’s club known as The Grove that Jack frequents, that pays dividends later. Before all hell breaks loose, the making and shooting of a live late night show is actually terrific, while the horror is incredibly unsettling. They also utilize Dastmalchian perfectly. Late Night with the Devil has familiar moments, but it’s packaged in such an original way that you can’t look away. Plus, it ends on a hell of a note, too.

Late Night with the Devil impressed me in a big way. What could have been a thin V/H/S style short instead compels with its feature length. I wouldn’t necessarily call this an overtly scary film, but it’s deeply unsettling and achieves all of its goals. The movie works in a major way, due not just because of the Cairnes Brothers, but because of David Dastmalchian as well. All in all, it’s one of my favorite flicks of the year so far. Don’t miss it!

SCORE: ★★★1/2