Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: During a Halloween special, a late show host brings on an allegedly possessed girl as a guest only for things to go predictably wrong.
Review: Part homage to late night television and part throwback to '70s horror, "Late Night with the Devil" is like a breath of fresh air. Of course, this idea of a lost episode, or discovered footage, is nothing new to the genre at this point, however, "Late Night" is able to work with its setting in an incredible, self-contained way. In particular, the acting sells the scenario with the right mannerisms and attention to detail. The only complaints I have are in regard to a lackluster ending, and unnecessary explanations which would have worked better if kept vague.
What works so remarkably well here is the presentation of the late show itself. Ignoring the fake TV network, the rest of the production feels believable to the time without coming off as an overly cliched interpretation of the '70s; they could have hammed it up big time, but things are grounded in the plausible. Furthermore, the host, Jack Delroy, has that right level of charm, humor, and physicality to feel possible. David Dastmalchian nails the manner of speaking and self-deprecating stylings of the era perfectly; Mr. Dastmalchian deserves extra credit for carrying this film on his back.
For the scares, this movie pays tribute to the popularity of religious horror at the time like "The Exorcist" and "The Omen." Obviously, the best parts are when things go wrong and everyone is dying in gruesome ways. The possessed girl, named Lilly, is fantastic since her dialogue always has these ominous hints of what is to come; her antics alone help to build a ton of tension. You'd think the fodder characters would be on the flimsy side, but, surprisingly, they're also fun and interesting especially the skeptic. The banter and character interactions help to sell this fake footage as real all the better.
Where I do think the film falters most is the ending which connects back to the opening segment giving too much away too soon. Straight up, the hallucinations, or whatever it was supposed to be that Jack experiences, come off goofier than it should. The guy in the owl suit was actually outright stupid. I get that there was supposed to be this makeshift connection to Bohemian Grove (which is a whole different rabbit hole unto itself), but the tone was off; I wanted more of a 70's-esque vision of hell or something otherworldly. The idea that the wife's ghost was helping him is left ambiguous as it's unclear whether she was trying to help Jack or it's all manifested by the demon. Rather than explaining all these things about Jack basically selling his soul or his wife dying due to some kind of curse or whatever, these plot points, and many others, could have been told in passing to keep the viewer guessing. In fact, many of these story beats end up being repeated throughout the movie anyway defeating the purpose altogether. Things should have been kept to a simple setup for the show and the host's ratings--why he would pull this stunt in the first place. It's as if the opening narration was adjusted to help audiences that couldn't pay attention or something.
With all things taken into consideration, "Late Night with the Devil" is awesome, offering something new to the Halloween horror scene. It's more than that though--the retro style is a huge plus accompanied by topnotch acting from the lead and supporting roles. The general production and attention to detail is to be applauded, and I enjoyed the way the lighthearted moments of the fake TV show contrast with the dark turn the story takes. While the ending can come off as a whiff after so many home runs, I don't think that hurts the final impression. This is definitely worth watching this, or any, October 31st.
Notable Moment: When the demon fully emerges from Lilly and goes on a murderous rampage. It's a fantastic sequence all around that serves as a satisfying reveal to all the build up.
Final Rating: 6.5/10
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