Late Night with the Devil review
David Dastmalchian has elevated every part he’s played since making his debut in The Dark Knight. In Late Night with the Devil, he finds the one he was born to play.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Late Night with the Devil
Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes
Written by Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes
Starring David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssel Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Josh Quang Tart and Georgina Haig
Late Night with the Devil Review
David Dastmalchian has always been an interesting actor. Whether he is stealing scenes in big budget comic book movies like The Dark Knight or The Suicide Squad or…stealing scenes in horror movies like The Boogeyman and The Last Voyage of the Demeter. There’s a reason that every director from Christopher Nolan to Denis Villeneuve to James Gunn to Kevin Smith wants to work with him. Mike Flanagan and Bryan Fuller are jumping into the Dastmalchian business with their upcoming releases. He’s adept at comedy, suspense, drama…and, no surprise given his obvious love of the genre, horror. He finds the role of a lifetime in Late Night with the Devil. One that combines every aspect of his gifts and puts him firmly at the center of the stage.
Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian) is an ambitious late night talk show host in the 1970s. His program, Night Owls, can’t seem to catch Johnny Carson in the ratings. When his ratings start to slide…a big showing during sweeps week is needed to keep the show on the air. Sweeps coincides with Halloween…and Delroy has an idea to deliver the win they need.
Late Night with the Devil is, largely, a found footage movie. Don’t think shaky cameras and POV shots. The footage that has been uncovered is a legendary Halloween night episode. Just as it aired live. The movie breaks the format in a few different ways. It opens with a lengthy montage recapping the life and career of Jack Delroy…showing us the ups and downs that led to a fateful broadcast. Rumors of ties to the occult and the unexpected illness (and death) of his wife are highlighted. The movie also cuts in behind the scenes footage when the show goes to commercial break. These aren’t the only format breaks. Saying more would be a spoiler.
What’s important to note about Late Night with the Devil’s format is that, essentially, we are watching a 70s talk show episode for most of its runtime. Everything from the opening monologue to the comedic foil band leader is here. It’s an authentic recreation of a show that never existed. At the center of it all is Dastmalchian. He couldn’t be better in the role of Jack Delroy. He effortlessly walks the line between likable, funny, charming host and the desperate, haunted, ambitious man he is when the cameras turn off.
Late Night with the Devil adheres to a full talk show format. There are three guest segments…all with a supernatural theme to make the occasion. First, we meet Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) …a psychic who claims he can communicate with the dead. It’s pretty standard talk show fair. The seams of his act are easy to spot at first. He serves a few important narrative purposes, however. First…his act is a clever way to segue to the night’s second guest, a skeptic named Carmichael (Ian Bliss). Carmichael’s easy dissection of Christou’s act lends him credibility as the story moves forward. Second, and most importantly, it serves as an omen of the dangers that lie ahead. Carmichael may dismiss everything…he may even explain how he did it…but not everything that happens is an act. Something Christou is the first to learn. The very hard way.
The main attraction of the show parapsychologist June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon) and the subject of her novel, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli). Lilly, her doctor asserts, is possessed. Jack exploited a personal relationship with June to score a live demonstration for his show. It probably doesn’t need to be stated that this is a bad idea.
What wasn’t a bad idea was casting Dastmalchian as the ringleader of this horror circus. The role of Jack Delroy suits him perfectly. Late Night with the Devil’s commitment to its unique format keeps things interesting…but Dastmalchian is what makes it great. You’ll be ready to sign up for decades of a real Night Owls show with him as host. Even if every episode doesn’t go completely off the rails like the one presented here.
Late Night with the Devil combines an authentic feel with a showcase for its star. The result is (maybe) the best episode of late-night television ever presented. Especially for those who like a little demonic possession with their bedtime routines. Jack Delroy may never catch Carson in the ratings…but Dastmalchian catches lightning in a bottle trying to.
Scare Value
Late Night with the Devil fully commits to its idea. The result is a movie as unique as it is wildly entertaining. For all of its style and tricks…it’s Dastmalchian’s performance as the ambitious late-night host that steals the show. It’s the role of a lifetime. One that could have easily slipped into parody in lesser hands. Dastmalchian feels perfectly at home.
4.5/5
Late Night with the Devil Link
In theaters now – Fandango
Coming to Shudder April 19
