Don’t touch that dial – your soul depends on it!
There’s no shortage of iconic nightmare talk show guests in the history of television. From Grace Jones’ slap-happy encounter with Russell Harty to Oliver Reed’s intoxicating (and intoxicated) appearance on Wogan to consummate interviewer par excellence Michael Parkinson’s excruciatingly awkward encounter with Meg Ryan but none of them, at least knowingly, ever interviewed an actual demon.
In Late Night with the Devil, TV host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian), finds his talk show teetering on the brink of cancellation. In an audacious bid to resurrect his show’s ratings, he and his producer Leo Fiske (Josh Quong Tart) concoct a Halloween special featuring a psychic Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), an arch sceptic Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss), and Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a teenage girl purportedly possessed by a demonic entity. But as the live broadcast unravels, so too does the barrier between reality and the supernatural, plunging the studio into a maelstrom of terror.
The film, directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, expertly recreates the style, tone and aesthetic of 1970s live television and the mix of production and broadcast footage makes Night Owls feel like a real show and Late Night with the Devil feel like a genuine lost relic of a bygone age of television. The commitment to contemporary accuracy reinvigorates the potentially played-out found footage gimmick and thanks to the gritty realism, you’re instantly transported back in time with an experience so immersive you’ll feel like you’re part of a studio audience watching as the playfully spooky banter withers and twists in a creeping unease and, finally, abject fear. The makers understand that when it comes to this kind of horror, the devil is literally in the details.
David Dastmalchian’s portrayal of Jack Delroy is a masterpiece of layering, perfectly capturing the duality of the TV personality, by turns the convivial host, then when the cameras aren’t running, the ruthless, ambitious star willing to do whatever it takes to salvage his status and stardom. He captures the character’s desperation and smarminess with a deft touch, painting a portrait of a man who wants us to think he’s on the edge but in reality has long since plunged over into the abyss. Ingrid Torelli’s performance as Lilly is a hauntingly subtle standout, delivering moments that linger in the mind long after the screen goes dark. The supporting cast, including Laura Gordon as Dr. June, Ian Bliss as the ever-sceptical Carmichael Haig, and Rhys Auteri as Gus McConnell, Jack’s long-suffering sidekick and ersatz Jiminy Cricket each make strong contributions to the film’s richly eerie atmosphere.
There are moments toward its narrative crescendo where you do start to wonder if less would have been more and an initially confusing flashback sequence momentarily disrupts the momentum, introducing an element of ambiguity that detracts from an otherwise gripping finale which may have been better served by a Sopranos-style abrupt cut to black. Ultimately, the psychedelic sidestep reconnects with the story for a bleak, more definitive ending but the lingering sense that ambiguity would have been better is hard to resist.
There are, of course, clear similarities to TV broadcast footage horrors like the WNUF Halloween Special (or in a metatextual sense, BBC’s Ghostwatch) but Late Night with the Devil establishes a clear sense of its own identity. Both WNUF and Late Night with the Devil employ a nostalgic television format to weave their tales, the former thrives on campy charm and clever satire while Late Night with the Devil plunges deeper into the shadows, delivering a more intense and unnerving experience, with precious little in the way of comic relief to lighten the tone. Its thematic exploration of the high cost of fame adds a layer of dark Faustian irony as the revelations pile up around our haunted host.
Late Night with the Devil is a good time at the cinema but it’s also one of those films that likely to find a more natural habitat on TV, where it’s sterling recreation of late 20th century network television will likely have a more concentrated power and verisimilitude than the big screen could give it. So, sit back, switch on and stay tuned – your soul may just depend on it.
