I was going to wait until Shudder released this movie this month to watch it for free, but since I could not find anything else I wanted to watch at the cinema, I decided to just go ahead and watch it now, and I am glad I did.
Here's a little mini spoiler free review with my thoughts after watching it.
Late Night With The Devil follows the story of a struggling late night talk show host, Jack Delroy, who plans a Halloween special involving a young girl who may be possessed by the devil. The film is cleverly assembled from footage shot during the live broadcast, capturing the late night dynamic perfectly with a house band and comedic sidekick entertaining the audience during ad breaks.
The opening introduction, narrated by Michael Ironside, sets the scene of the period and Delroy's past, hinting at a cult-like organization he is a member of. The guests on the show include a medium, Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), and a skeptic, Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss), who set the stage for the horror to come when a doctor, June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), brings a girl to the set, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), who may or may not be possessed.
Late Night With the Devil takes on a mockumentary style, chronicling the full episode along with the behind-the-scenes footage. This offers a tantalizing mix of horror and biting satire, cleverly spoofing the extreme measures late-night shows resorted to in pursuit of ratings supremacy.
With its square aspect ratio and dim lighting, the film captures the essence of a 1970s production, as if the footage were unearthed from a forgotten archive.
The Cairnes brothers build their film well, dropping little details throughout that pay off in the final act as the film descends into horror. The performances from the main cast are first-rate, and the support cast is equally impressive too.
It's a tremendous "found footage" film, perhaps not a surprise when you discover that Joel Anderson, who made Lake Mungo, is an executive producer on this film. Interestingly, the film also pays homage to Ghostwatch, a BBC broadcast on Halloween night in 1992, which was a blast from the past.
While it might not boast the most robust storyline, it's a very enjoyable watch. The Cairnes siblings have crafted a film with themes that resonate strongly in today's media landscape, where sensationalism often reigns supreme.
In a world where people will go to extremes for views and clicks, the notion of an influencer inviting the devil onto their show feels all too plausible.
This is a film, or indeed a broadcast, you cannot miss. I would give it an 7.5/10. [Late Night With The Devil on IMDB]
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