If you were in the UK during the Halloween season of 1992, chances are you (like me) were completely taken in by the BBC’s broadcast of ‘Ghostwatch’, a Screen One drama that was made to look like a genuine real-life reality show, broadcasting live on location from a haunted house in Northolt, Greater London. Legitimising its aura was the appearance of TV personalities of the day, with Sarah Greene, Michael Parkinson, Mike Smith and Craig Charles completely hooking in viewers in what was, essentially, the greatest British TV hoax ever attempted. ‘Late Night with the Devil’, the new movie from writer/director brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes, channels this spooky energy to create a brisk but very enjoyable chiller that evokes similar feelings, whilst adding an unmistakable American vibe to its premise.
The late-night talk show circuit in America has been big business for decades. This film taps into the golden era of the format – the late seventies – to tell the brilliantly effective story of Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian), a talk show host who is trying to make his indelible mark in the industry. He’s loved by his audience, but he hasn’t quite managed to break into the top of the ratings.
With his numbers levelling out, an episode due to air on Halloween night – Oct 31st 1977, might just put Jack in the big leagues. With guests on his live broadcast including famed psychic reader Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), sceptic debunker Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss) and June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), a psychologist who is overseeing the care of Lilly D’Abo (Ingrid Torelli), a young woman who is allegedly possessed by an entity, Jack Delroy’s show is about to scare up an unprecedented chain of events.
‘Late Night with the Devil’ is a great piece of indie horror that frequently hits its marks and delivers a time-piece study that works on many levels. However it’s biggest asset is the remarkable leading performance from David Dastmalchian. A fan-favourite actor who has delivered memorable turns in the likes of ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘The Suicide Squad’, ‘Dune’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, Dastmalchian is a revelation here, absolutely nailing the fluidity and charisma that all late-night talk show hosts all possess. It’s a star-making turn that will hopefully elevate him to a leading man status, which he thoroughly deserves.
His interactions with the crew and his guests also feel genuine and off-the-cuff, which adds believability to every scene – something crucial to a genre-piece like this. Dastmalchian is blessed with a great ensemble too, including Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Josh Quong Tart and Georgina Haig.
If there are downsides, it comes in the form of over-the-top effects usage towards the end which sadly draws the viewer out of the claustrophobic terror it’s tried so hard to conjure up. There’s a distinct lack of restraint in the final moments of the film too which, again, take the viewer out of a very intimate and effective setting. There are some nice threads of a back story which don’t get pulled on enough, and anyone who has watched the likes of ‘Ghostwatch’ will see the finale coming a mile off.
‘Late Night with the Devil’ is a fun and energising indie horror that does the basics right and has a great attention to detail that gives it an authenticity that impresses throughout. Even with its shortcomings in the finale, the film is easily one of the best horrors we’ve had in ages, and that’s largely down to the incredible leading turn by David Dastmalchian. He is absolutely magnetic here and sees to it that ‘Late Night with the Devil’ will be remembered as one of the best cult hits of the year.
Cast: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Josh Quong Tart, Georgina Haig Director: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Writer: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Certificate: 15 Duration: 93 mins Released by: Vertigo Releasing Release date: 22nd March 2024
