Late Night With The Devil
LNWTD first started getting hot film festival buzz well over a year ago, and I've been eagerly anticipating it's release since. I'm also incredibly thankful that this movie was given a proper theatrical release rather than a direct to streaming approach, because it is an experience that absolutely deserves your undivided attention in a theatre. One part “Anchorman”, one part “The Exorcist”, LNWTD is in the running for one of, if not my favourite film of the year.
A lot of people can't handle horror, and that's fine. If it's not for you it's not for you. And there are a few moments that could make the weaker constitutions squirm, but for the most part it's not a scary movie. It's a great one that builds on it's character host's drive to succeed at all costs, played perfectly by David Dastmalchian, who you've definitely seen a million times before and never thought about it. He's been in so many great films as a second or third fiddle, so it's incredible here to see him get the lead role and absolutely slam dunk it.
The film opens with a mock entertainment show broadcast of the rise and fall of late night TV host Jack Delroy. They take their time with this sequence and give it real depth and quality instead of just a couple minutes of montage backstory. The amount of care given to this sequence puts you in the corner of Jack even before the “real” movie begins. The opening sequence is so good, that that might even be my favourite part of the movie, despite the entire film being laden with excellent moments and a knockout cast in every role.
Oh, and it's a period piece. That might make my “Anchorman” comparison make a bit more sense. It takes place in 1977, and they completely nail the vibe and tone of TV from that time period. From the television graphics to the wardrobe, and even the talk show fascination with the paranormal, all things that scream “70s”.
The story premise is simple: a late night talk show host arranges for a demonically possessed girl to be interviewed on Halloween night, 1977. The twists and turns the movie takes aren't even that surprising, but the journey to get there is the real treat. Every character is given substance, so even when you can see how things are going, it's still an superb joy to watch it unfold. Rhys Auteri especially steals the show as Jack's sidekick version of Andy Richter, Gus McConnell. But again, there isn't a weak person in the cast.
The ending had me a little worried they were going to take a “safe, cheap” way out. But thank God, they don't. The finale works perfectly, especially after a moment that will almost certainly have you going “please don't let it end this way”.
Running at a brisk 93 minutes, “Late Night With The Devil” is a breeze to watch, there's no fat on this movie. And given the framework of Halloween 1977, I can only imagine how many people will add this to their yearly seasonal watch list come October. I know I will.
10/10 – Masterpiece
