Horror abound, and another good example of retro film-making.
Jack Delroy’s American late night talk show is struggling to hold ratings. “Night Owls”, becomes more outrageous and outlandish to stay relevant. So far as to invite the devil onto the show?
Written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Late Night with the Devil is a found footage horror movie set in the 1970s. Starring David Dastmalchian (Suicide Squad) in the lead role, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, and Georgina Haig (TV’s Snowpiercer). The film is, as most good found footage movies often are, a small scale and self-contained experience. The secret footage of one terrible recording of a late night talk show.
Overall, the experience is very solid.
To get the trouble out of the way: Unfortunately the one major coverage the movie received upon release was the identification of AI-generated art used in the movie. This might be the one thing some audiences know of the movie, which is unfortunate. It should be seen as a caution to other creatives. The art used is barely in the movie as well (but it is quite apparent when it is)
David Dastmalchian’s Jack Delroy is introduced to us as the charismatic personality one would expect to lead a talk show. The set built around him is wonderfully 70s styled, and the supporting cast and crew are very genuine. Especially Rhys Auteri’s bashful Gus. The trend of retrograded movies continues, with wonderfully grainy film and sound quality.
But Jack’s past is disquieting. It is even public knowledge that his wife died of lung cancer, despite it having no direct cause. Jack’s enthusiastic onscreen persona is directly at odds with his frantic need to keep the show running, but also past sadness.
The story develops with a mix of show footage and “behind the scenes” footage, which is in black and white. This… somewhat detracts from the found footage style, as it has clearly been edited by someone and the footage is not literally found. This lifts the viewer out of believing they are watching something as it transpired, or that they had the luck (or misfortune) to be the first person witnessing the events.
But it is understandable. The movie is otherwise a talk show format; quite difficult to deliver character motivations, agency and drama in that environment.
Dastmalchian is great as the lead. To think that he has been resigned to bit parts in (mostly Christopher Nolan) movies. Hopefully he gets more prominent parts.
The story escalates nicely. With Jack inviting a spirit medium onto the show first. The movie neatly escalates this in regards to modern sensibilities towards mediums; with him being punked by an audience member. But the frustrated medium does succeed in a second attempt… With that, a sceptic is added to the show who is determined to debunk anyone claiming to have supernatural abilities.
It is a neat little show. Setting it in the 1970s isn’t a visual choice alone. The 1970s were a hotbed of controversy in regards to spirituality and the occult with the beginning of the New Age. Having a late night talkshow host raising a clamour with mediums and possession seems entirely plausible. Especially when he has intense emotional agency to.
It is a neat little horror movie. Recommended to watch as late as possible for the real vibes to kick in. It isn’t a perfect “found footage” movie, and it does go wild at times, but you certainly haven’t seen anything like it.
