LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL -- A Late-Night Talk Show Goes Wrong in This Indie Horror Movie

Review by Camden Ferrell

Late Night with the Devil is the newest film from the Carines Brothers, a writing/directing duo that made their feature film debut in 2012. Their third feature had its premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival. Led by a captivating performance from David Dastmalchian and utilizing the found footage format to shocking effect, this indie horror is one that is simple yet crazily effective.
 
Jack Delroy is a late-night talk show host who, despite once being touted as Johnny Carson’s successor, is now fearing his show is nearing its end. In order to boost ratings, he hosts a Halloween special on his show where he invites a parapsychologist and her troubled patient among other guests. Then, on live television, unthinkable and horrifying events unfold. This is a unique premise that really grabs your attention and combines the found footage style of storytelling with behind-the-scenes action to tell its story.
 
From a writing standpoint, the script does its job. It doesn’t say anything too poignant for the most part, but it does lay a solid foundation for the actors and horror to build off of. I’d go as far as to say, the writing is just adequate for most of its runtime, but the movie works on so many other levels that the script doesn’t need to be revolutionary in any way.

The aspect of this movie that deserves the most praise is its acting. Dastmalchian has cemented himself as one of the best current character actors, and in this movie, he proves his worth as a leading man. Playing the charismatic yet troubled Jack Delroy, he impresses on every level, handling both the light and heavy material wonderfully. The supporting cast is also quite strong including a chilling performance from young actress Ingrid Torelli.
 
As a horror movie, it’s not going to make you jump out of your seat, and it’s not trying to get a cheap thrill out of the audience either. It feels like every scene of anxiety or terror is truly earned, and the Carines Brothers really nail the pacing required to pull of these scary moments. They know when to go big and bold, and they also know when it’s appropriate to reign it in. This tango they do allows the movie to flow nicely while making viewers eagerly await the next scary moment. At 90 minutes, the movie breezes by in an instant and knows when it’s time to pack it up. Admittedly the final sequence does get quite ambitious and loses some of the film’s found footage charm, but they thankfully recover nicely for its chilling final moment.
 
Late Night with the Devil is an indie horror gem that will hopefully find a large audience upon release. It’s a great showcase for its leading man while also displaying the horror filmmaking prowess of its directors. It’ll always leave you guessing, and it’ll never make you feel bored. While it’s not the best that the genre has to offer, it’s still an entertaining movie worth your time.
 
Late Night with the Devil is in theaters March 22.
 
Rating: 4/5