Late Night With the Devil
Why are we so attracted yet scared by what’s considered the supernatural? Because that fear we feel in that moment is exciting. It’s what makes us feel the blood pumping in our veins. It’s the same fear that tells us not to look. Late Night With the Devil masterfully conveys a portrait of what it means to be subtly scared nowadays.
Late Night With the Devil scene, credit IFC Films / Shudder
Let’s think how many people have difficulties getting sleep at night. Thoughts. Fears. Doubts. Excitement. For whatever reason. How many times did it happen to you to stay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling? If today we have so many things we can use to put our mind at ease like social media mostly, back in the 1960s and 1970s we had other tools at our disposal. That’s where the late night shows make their entrance. Conceived as a solution to entertain the world before sleeping, this typology of TV program creates a cozy and pleasing environment that acts as a sort of friend to keep you company. And this is exactly the frame where Late Night With the Devil takes birth.
Starting with an eight-minute opening, presenting the 1970s as a “time of unrest and mistrust, fear and violence”, the movie shows us the main scenario: Night Owls with Jack Delroy - a fictional entertainment program that five nights a week helps an anxious nation forget its troubles. The host of the movie’s late night talk is Jack Delroy (played by a brilliant David Dastmalchian) who is desperate to get to the top of the ratings. As the beginning of the movie tells us, Delroy is headed to the end of a career path that is about to make him go down in history as an also-ran — several times Emmy nominated without ever being the winner. That’s why on Halloween night, 1977, Delroy and his producers come up with a desperate, last idea to revitalize ratings - with the imminent threat of a definitive shutdown. Perfectly in line with the festivity, they decide to propose an episode, completely immersed in the occult and the supernatural. For that night, the guest list is packed. There is the psychic Christou - who attempts to read the minds of the audience - followed by his opposite figure represented by Carmichael the Conjurer - an ex-magician whose only goal is to expose charlatans. Then there’s the parapsychologist Dr. June Ross-Mitchell - author of the book entitled “Conversations With the Devil.” - who brought along its subject Lilly - a well-behaved teen who was the only survivor of a Satanic church’s mass suicide. And notice that Lilly is afflicted by a demon she calls “Mr. Wiggles”. Now - desperate to revive the fortunes of a program doomed to failure - Jack and his producers insist the girl conjure up that entity on air - an option that will turn out to be a very bad idea. For you to watch it then.
This line-up of factors and characters purposely and perfectly plays the nostalgia card. All of a sudden, it’s impossible not to revoke from the-back-of-our-mind, all those memories related to other movies of the genre. Well, how can we not have the same feeling we had the first time we watched The Exorcist? The old movie from 1973 has certainly played a major role in inspiring the overall emotional setting of Late Night With the Devil. And probably one of the factors is led by the irrefutable facial resemblance of David Dastmalchian with Jason Miller - father Damien Karras in The Exorcist. For those who are well-knowledged in supernatural film genres, how can we not mention the similarity with the other two bigs of the industry? Poltergeist and Videodrome.
As you can see - and as you will notice as soon as you watch the movie - Late Night With the Devil celebrates the originality of a unique genre that has inevitably lost relevance as time went by. Too many have been the projects attempting to provide the screen with a new modern take on the occult. Titles like Deliver Us from Evil and The Exorcism of Emily Rose couldn’t have done anything to even remotely approach the untouchable masterpieces of the past. And here it comes the movie starring David Dastmalchian setting itself apart from the rest, by simply creating a project that made us live again the thrill given by the old videotapes.
The movie is a living ticking bomb that is going to cook you very slowly, taking you from the beginning to the end. It has that thrill and subtle terror, typical of the past. That feeling of everlasting waiting that you know will end soon but that you don’t know when, is exactly the most appreciable aspect of the movie. This works incredibly well because it turns us viewers into that audience that on the night of Halloween couldn’t take their eyes off the TV. The result is a new reality where we all become part of a perfect illusion, where we start wondering whether this is 1977 or not. And Jack Delroy turns out to be the perfect storyteller for this story, conveying the portrait of a TV presenter who is willing to do whatever it takes to let the world know what his value is. The final take on the movie suggests that - while only God can grant you favors - only the devil can satisfy your inner desires. Diabolically clever. Devilishly good. Late Night With the Devil takes us on a powerful introspecting journey on the price of success.
