Late Night with the Devil, written, directed, and edited by an Australian filmmaking duo, Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes, is a spooky, original supernatural horror film whose distinctive creative approach keeps you engaged for most of its duration but eventually runs out of ideas towards the end.
The film takes place on Halloween night of 1977 and centers on Jack Dorsey (portrayed by David Dastmalchian), a late-night television host whose talk show “Night Owls” is on the verge of being canceled due to its failing ratings in comparison to its rival, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the first five minutes of the film, a prologue (narrated by Michael Ironside) provides a little backstory of Jack, including his marriage to Madeleine (Georgina Haig), who dies of lung cancer, his constant struggles to outdo Johnny Carson in ratings, and one murky tidbit that plays a vital role in the climax. Anyway, since Halloween falls during Spooks Week, which is when the quarterly ratings are announced, Jack decides to have a special occult-themed episode and invites three guests: a psychic named Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), a former magician turned paranormal skeptic, Carmichael the conjurer (Ian Bliss), and a parapsychologist and author, Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), who brings a young girl named Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a sole survivor of mass suicide committed by a satanic church that worshipped Abraxas. Dr. June is providing treatment and care to Lilly, whom she claims to be possessed by a demon dubbed Mr. Wriggles. To increase the program’s viewership, Jack persuades June to summon the devil, much to the chagrin of his sidekick, Gus (Rhys Auteri). As a result, things go tragically wrong, leading to devastating consequences for Jack.
The film’s unique shooting style (found footage while they’re on TV and handheld with saturated colors for behind-the-scenes action) and its systematic introduction of the three guests, each more fascinating than the last, keep you intrigued for the most part. The film adeptly manages the entire debate between the supernatural and science, giving way to two of the film’s spookiest scenes, the first of which is June’s conjuring, which results in Mr. Wriggles gaining control of Lilly, followed by the second one (the best scene in the film), which is Carmichael’s counter, where he hypnotizes Gus and everyone, causing Gus to hallucinate worms coming out of his stomach due to his fear of them. Additionally, the film successfully transports viewers to the 1970s by evoking the era’s fashion sense (such as Gus’ p**n mustache, bell bottom pants, or Jack’s sideburns) and a detailed production design by Otello Stolfo (especially of the late-night set).
David Dastmalchian delivers a smooth performance, carrying the entire film on his shoulders. His endearing screen presence and charming personality are a perfect match for the role of the TV show host, and sufficient character development (like his relationship with his wife and his grief over her death) makes us empathize with him and keep us invested in him. On the other hand, there is also some gray in his character, as he is greedy and willing to go to any length to boost his program’s ratings, regardless of the consequences for those around him, and that’s what makes him interesting enough. Also, a special mention goes to Ian Bliss’ performance as Carmichael, who dominates an entire section of the film with his flawless performance as a man who enjoys pissing people off and going against their beliefs; it seemed like he was having a lot of fun while shooting this film.
The prologue divulges some dubious details regarding Jack and his social circle, and the exposition is delivered rather casually. However, an avid horror fan would see right through that, making the finale seem apparent and predictable. As a result, it becomes evident where the story is going from the opening scene, which is unfortunate because the film heavily relied on a surprise ending; had that ending materialized, it could have been an instant classic. Nevertheless, the film is wildly entertaining and highly recommended for its singular experience.
Late Night with the Devil movie links: IMDB, Letterboxd
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