Now here is a movie that I have been eagerly anticipating since I first heard about it. So many good things have been going around about it, and I already told my family, the day it comes out at home, is the day we watch it.
Synopsis:
A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.
IMDb: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Tagline: The live television event that shocked a nation!
Colin and Cameron Cairnes would write, direct, and edit Late Night with the Devil, their first major picture, and third full-length overall. It would be an international co-production between Australia, The United States, and The United Arab Emirates. David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight, The Suicide Squad) would star in this mix of documentary and found footage style of filmmaking.
As it made its rounds on the festival circuit in March of 2023, it garnered criticism for its use of AI generated images in 3 still images. On its third day of release, reports stated that it garnered $666,666, and eventually grossed over $10M.
The character of Carmichael is based on real life person James Randi who, much like Houdini, was a magician and psychic de-bunker, who offered money to anyone who could prove paranormal powers. No one could ever win the money. The Grove is also based on the real-life Bohemian Grove, which is an interesting place and club that if you don’t know what it is, look it up and watch some videos on YouTube.
I absolutely love the opening. Presented documentary style, it really captures that late 70s/early 80s late night Johnny Carson type talk show. It’s an engaging ten minutes, garnering sympathy for our hero after the death of his wife and his falling star power. Mixing real life events and shows with the fictional program really integrates it itno pop culture and presents it as real.
Dastmalchian is absolutely amazing as the poor man’s Johnny Carson, desperate for ratings on Halloween during sweeps week. He really exudes the charisma that is needed to anchor such a program. I would totally watch his late-night show. And essentially, that’s exactly what we get, as the movie is presented as a real-time episode, complete with a monologue.
This film has a heart. I was hanging on to every word for much of the dialogue. The drama, the heartache, the horror, it’s all so real and vibrant. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the screen. And when the show goes to commercial, we get the found footage behind-the-scenes black and white footage. It flows seamlessly. We even get a fun split screen. It’s a masterclass in style and filmmaking, perfectly encapsulating the 70s, from the music, to the set, to the costumes, to the haircuts, to the general feel.
Ingrid Torelli stars as Lilly, and she is frightening. She blankly stares into the camera. Her smile is unnerving. Her lines are stunningly prophetic. Her performance is one for the ages and she almost steals the show. However, every character is so unique and memorable, it feels like there is a constant one-up gamesmanship, as with each passing moment, someone else threatens to steal the show.
The film crescendos towards a horrifying set of events that unfolds before our eyes. It builds the horror to an unsettling conclusion of epic proportions. I can’t say I was ever truly scared, but I was absolutely enthralled. The ending was a little out there, perhaps a little too meta, and bizarre, but it did the trick and brought us to a logical, if tragic, conclusion.
It’s definitely worth a watch, and I expect some polarizing reactions. I recommend it thoroughly, but I would imagine some people are going to hate it. But the presentation, the effects, and the story, are just so meticulously crafted, that it borderlines on perfection.
