'Late Night with the Devil' (2024) Reaction

When it comes to horror subgenres, one of the most oversaturated categories is the exorcism subgenre – the most popular contribution to the genre is, of course, William Friedkin’s 1973 masterwork The Exorcist, and there are only a handful of other films that come close to its quality. Unfortunately, there are reams of exorcism films that range from uninspired to unwatchable, and while that can be frustrating as a horror fan, it also makes it more impactful whenever there’s a new release that’s worth the attention.

The independent production Late Night with the Devil had a fantastically successful theatrical run, making headlines for ironically grossing $666,666 on the last day of its opening weekend (Sunday, of all days) – even more impressive is the fact that an independent film like this with such a small budget was able to gross over $10 million during its theatrical run, which lasted less than a month. Seeing small productions like this have large-scale success is always great, especially with films like this that work in familiar territory but still manage to set themselves apart from their predecessors.

Much like how Damien Leone’s Terrifier films were able to find a sense of originality amongst the all-too-familiar slasher genre, Late Night with the Devil has a premise and execution that makes it feel unlike any other possession film. For those who are unaware of the plot, the film’s official logline states, “Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy hosts a syndicated talk show ‘Night Owls’ that has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country. However, ratings for the show have plummeted since the tragic death of Jack's beloved wife. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, on October 31st, 1977, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other- unaware he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America.”

Watching Late Night with the Devil feels just like watching a late-night talk show, complete with commercial breaks, and the filters and color palette gives it a perfectly retro aesthetic that makes it feel like it came from the 70s. During the ad breaks, the viewer also gets to see what happens behind the scenes with the cast and crew, which also makes room for further exposition and character development without taking away from the on-air action. The live television format gives the film a rhythm that makes the runtime shorter than it actually is. It also helps that the pacing and action is enough to keep the audience invested from start to finish, with no lulls distracting from the viewer’s engagement.

The practical effects look very good, and the only visual distractions come from the few instances that use CGI – the discrepancy in aesthetic quality is pretty clear, but that’s really the only knock I personally have against this movie. As horror fans, we all know that practical effects are superior to digital, but the use of CGI here isn’t a glaringly egregious obstruction. Regardless, the movie is still a blast to watch, and the greatness of the practical effects overrides any and all distraction that comes from the CGI.

One of the best things about Late Night with the Devil is the casting – first things first, this movie marks the first starring role of David Dastmalchian, who’s had great supporting and background roles throughout his career in films like Oppenheimer (2023), Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), The Dark Knight (2008), and Bird Box (2018). Everyone who’s seen Dastmalchian even for a few minutes in his minor roles knows how well he can act, but getting to see him shine in the forefront in a film like this truly was a gift – his character was a pleasure to watch and to be invested in, and it was awesome to see the range of emotions that he goes through over the course of the movie. The supporting cast was well-chosen also, with Ian Bliss being a fantastically convincing paranormal skeptic, Laura Gordon portraying a wonderful parapsychologist, Ingrid Torelli giving an impressive performance as a demonically possessed girl, and Rhys Auteri being insanely amusing as Dastmalchian’s co-host. I could easily go on and on about each of their characters, but all I’ll say is that they’re all very well-written and executed even better because of the acting chops of everyone involved. The on-screen chemistry between all the actors involved in the making of this movie is palpable, everyone’s performances are top-notch, and their efforts are well worth a watch. There’s not a single second in which the audience is taken out of the viewing experience on account of someone’s performance, because they’re all dialed in. Again, I could say more, but it’s better if you just watch the movie.

Something that probably should be addressed is the controversy that arrived with the film’s release, pertaining to the use of AI art — the filmmakers admitted to using AI for three image inserts in the film, which was something that ruffled a lot of feathers, given the current public consensus in regards to AI’s place in the entertainment industry. However, something that should be taken into account is the time in which this took place – this was done when AI was still a novelty, before there were conversations about the impact AI could have on employment in creative workplaces, and before the SAG and WGA strikes occurred. Coupled with the fact that these images only take up approximately eleven seconds of a 93 minute long movie, there really shouldn’t be any major blame or disparagement thrown towards the people behind the making of this film. If anything, people should be more upset at how Netflix has allegedly utilized AI recently for a documentary instead of what an independent horror film did before the strikes, but that’s a conversation for another day.

To sum things up, Late Night with the Devil is a hauntingly fun watch with an insane twist that will leave you speechless. In a year that’s already delivered some phenomenal films like Lisa Frankenstein and Immaculate, Late Night with the Devil comfortably sits on the shortlist as one of the best horror films of 2024. If you missed its theatrical run, the film is now streaming on Shudder. If you’re looking for a good time, avoid any and all spoilers you can and watch this movie as soon as possible.

For more information on Late Night with the Devil, click here.

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