In 1977 a live television broadcast goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into living rooms across the United States.
David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Dark Knight) plays late-night talk show presenter Jack Delroy in the movie. During Halloween night in 1977, chaos breaks out when Delroy speaks with a parapsychologist (Laura Gordon) and the young adolescent (Ingrid Torelli) who is the only survivor of a mass suicide committed by a Satanic church, the topic of her most recent book.
David Dastmalchian in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of Adam White. An IFC Films and Shudder release.
Late Night with the Devil is something of a mockumentary carefully intermingled with a ’70s late-night talk show, having elements that feel like an actual live recording of that fateful 1970 Halloween night. It includes news snippets and backstories in the form of reports and the like to give better context. While that may sound like a bit of a strange mix, it is edited in such a way that the film feels completely natural and doesn’t skip a beat between timelines.
David Dastmalchian in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of Adam White. An IFC Films and Shudder release.
The story mostly follows Jack Delroy and his incessant attempts to reach that coveted No. 1 late-night host spot. We are thrown a few breadcrumbs that Jack may have, in his youth, made a bargain with some unsavory cult so as to rise in fame, though he, unfortunately, lost more than he gained. As his ratings climb and fall, Jack resorts to more and more outrageous news in an attempt to boost his viewership.
Ingrid Torelli, David Dastmalchian, and Laura Gordon in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.
The second act really begins with the arrival of June and Lilly (Gordon and Torelli) and their interactions with both Jack and his skeptic guest, Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss). As the events of the evening begin becoming unexplainable in nature and logic begins to spiral out of control, the panel of speakers on the stage witnesses things that could only be explained through esoteric exacerbations. The devil, or something akin to it, has clearly made his television debut.
David Dastmalchian in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.
The film works for a good number of reasons. As mentioned already, the editing is seamless, blending the now with the then and the here with the there. On screen, the setting, store, wardrobes and general antics of the actors takes one believably back to the 70s. The casting is—dear I say—perfect and the pacing keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Ingrid Torelli and Laura Gordon in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.
The performance by Dastmalchian is phenomenal, but he is in no way alone. Gordon and Torelli play perfectly off each other’s innocence and Bliss’ skeptical Haig was arrogant excellence in all of the right ways. They were truly all award-worthy efforts and it made the film all that more magical.
Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, David Dastmalchian, and Ian Bliss in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.
The horror was there, too. Perhaps not to the extent that some would like as the film was more about building the story and the suspense than it was gore and guts—though I personally enjoyed the tamer direction the director went with the horror. This was something different and unique; a film not afraid to try something new, push the envelope, and delight us with a fresh experience.
Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. Late Night with the Devil will be premiering this Friday, the 19th of April on Shudder. I have included the trailer and artwork below.
