The Plot: It’s 1977 and late night talk show host Jack (David Dastmalchian) has weathered the ratings storms over the years. Having left at one stage, he returned to host his live Night Owls show competing with the likes of Johnny Carson. He needs a boost in his ratings and has just the ticket for his loyal audience: a Hallowe’en special which deals with all things that go bump in the night. His guests include medium Carmichael (Ian Bliss), Dr June (Laura Gordon) and teenager Lilly (Ingrid Torelli) who was previously rescued from a Satanic cult. While Carmichael attempts to debunk everything going on, it becomes apparent to Jack that there is someone, some thing, supernatural at work in the studio…
The Verdict: It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since The Blair Witch Project burst onto screens with a shriek in all its over-hyped, under-delivering glory. Since then, many films have adopted the found footage format and not just in the horror genre. Much like its contemporary sub-genre of torture porn, it now feels worn-out, dated and with nothing else to say… or perhaps not. On the evidence presented in Late Night With The Devil, there’s still some life in the old bones yet. It’s enough to justify its promotion from its originally intended streaming release on Shudder to a proper theatrical release that has garnered praise from the likes of Stephen King noless. Maybe just as well. While its TV-format delivery might initially seem at home on the small screen, the amplified delivery of the cinema environment only makes it more effective.
An Australian production but set in New York, Late Night With The Devil is an auspicious calling card for writer-director brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes. Along with the Philippou brothers and their hit Talk To Me last year, Australian horror is on a roll. It takes the familiar setting of the American talk show as filtered through the more experimental era of the 1970s when crew and audience health and safety was less of a concern and TV produced cringeworthy oddities like The Star Wars Holiday Special. The Cairnes brothers have tapped into that slightly dangerous late-night feel of the time by depicting an unearthed Hallowe’en supernatural special that gradually goes off the rails and crashes into the studio walls. Jack initially just plays along with his colourful guests, not taking them seriously and goading them for a reaction while whipping up his audience in the process. However, playing with fire has its deadly consequences.
A demonstration involving a girl with a supposed demon living inside her stirs things up to the point where nobody is laughing anymore. The lines between reality and imagination become blurred, as Jack and the audience start seeing things that may or may not be real. Hats off to Ingrid Torelli for her performance, which transcends the usual possessed girl effect to become a subtle display of how to escalate a performance. The way she looks at the TV camera (and thereby us) is also unnerving. Credit is also due to distinctive character actor David Dastmalchian. Something of a horror fan himself, he’s often been relegated to supporting roles but nails his lead performance here as Jack. He’s all bouncy confidence, healthy scepticism and natural showmanship – until a nerve is touched and Jack begins to question his own sanity. It’s a finely-pitched performance in tone with the setting as events catch fire and explode.
In their writing and direction the Cairnes Brothers know how to stick the landing and deliver a finale that rams it all home like a stake through the heart. Be careful what you wish for – you may get it. They’ve captured the spirit (in every sense) of 1970s TV while making a found footage horror that looks and feels authentic, with black and white, widescreen behind-the-scenes footage during the ad breaks. Late Night With The Devil is a well-constructed rollercoaster that balances its supernatural elements and performances to thrilling effect. Turn on, tune in, drop out and brace yourself for this deliriously effective horror.
Rating: 4 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: Tune in
Directed by Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes.
Starring David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli, Fayssal Bazzi.