‘Late Night with the Devil’ focuses on Jack Delroy, a determined talk show host who attempts to revive his late-night show “Night Owls” with a Halloween 1977 special profiling the occult, paranormal, and a young girl who is purportedly possessed. Chaos breaks loose as the paranormal festivities turn into a startling reality and the unedited broadcast “found-footage” follows.
The technical points regarding cinematography, editing and soundtrack were all fantastic. The movie is shot in different modes. The first is in the format of a 70s TV show, and the second are the backstage “docu-style “commercial breaks which add layers of unease and foreshadowing. Moreover, some black and white sequences reminded me of ‘The Twilight Zone.’
The screenplay creates a well-paced storytelling over the course of the show, as the origins of the possessed girl and the occult activities peak. I noted some nods to classic horror elements from ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Carrie’ ‘Evil Dead’ and ‘The Conjuring.’
The film excels in building atmosphere and take viewers back to the 70s with a grainy, hazy, aesthetic that complements the unnerving tension.
David Dastmalchian’s nuanced performance as Jack Delroy was fantastic and he was a powerhouse lead. Additionally, the supporting cast added depth and dimensionality to the characters adding layers and building up suspense.
The film is a bit of a slow burn, but it plants many seeds that will blossom into a horrifying kaleidoscopic and hallucinogenic finale! I highly recommend this movie!
