Late Night with the Devil (2024), directed by Cameron Caines & Colin Caines, stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli, Fayssal Bazzi, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart. The film follows Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), a struggling late-night television host who in a last-ditch effort to save his ratings books a young girl (Torelli) who is supposedly possessed by the devil. Throughout the show, various guests either attempt to confirm or disprove the girl’s claim. As things slowly become supernatural, Jack is forced to come to terms with the various dark actions that led him to this point in his career. 

Dastmalchian gives a wonderfully against-type performance as Jack Delroy. For an actor known for playing socially awkward characters, Delroy is a refreshing change of pace that Dastmalchian absolutely nails. The odd behavior works for his typical roles, but a character like Jack requires something more charismatic. His awkwardness instead feels closer to sliminess – a much more authentic flaw for someone who entertains for a living. As for the supporting cast, they’re entertaining but noticeably weak compared to Dastmalchian. It also doesn’t help that oftentimes the script writes these characters to act in ways that feel somewhat unrealistic. For example, a possessed girl inexplicably changes her face and then projectile vomits black goo across the room. In the aftermath, people just kind of write it off as a scam. It looks real in the context of today’s special effects let alone in 1977 when the film takes place. These characters could get slapped in the face by the devil himself and then go “That was an impressive trick!” It’s realistic for characters to be skeptical, but it’s possible to go so far that they come across as the opposite. 

The film takes a realistic/documentary-style approach that is ultimately one of its stronger elements. The recreation of 70s late-night TV is a nostalgic experience (and I was born in 1996) but likewise uses the setting to create a hellish, almost dreamlike tone. The sort of overproduced live television this era had to offer was one-of-a-kind, undeniably entertaining, but slightly soulless — almost like seeing a circus show. The hybrid approach of documentary, late-night show, and traditional film narrative works surprisingly well for such a contained experience. What doesn’t work, however, is that these elements often outweigh the horror. Also, the supernatural horror itself doesn’t always gel with the realistic approach of everything else. 

The chills are decently effective – especially in an “edge of your seat” climax, but they’re admittedly very slow to the punch. Once the novelty of the setting wears off, the film can be somewhat boring and slow-paced. Fortunately, the 90-minute runtime is quick enough to avoid overstaying its welcome. 

What’s so great about this movie for horror fans is that the unique setting will inevitably make it a cult classic that people will come back to time and time again. It feels as if it could have been released in the era in which it takes place and worked just as well. Although it’s not scary enough to keep a person up at night and its portrayal of demon possession is a tad unoriginal, there’s something unique about the kinds of scares the movie attempts to deliver. It often breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience. For example, there’s something uniquely chilling about a talk show host looking directly into the camera and desperately telling his viewers to “turn it off!”

Overall, this is a fantastic treat for fans of the horror genre. That being said, it has its fair share of flaws which include pacing issues and tonal imbalance. That might hold it back for some, but I’d still recommend most people give it a shot. Although not the best horror movie of the year, it’s one of the more original and features one of its most unexpectedly effective lead performances. B