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Premiering at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes‘ Late Night with the Devil toured the film festival circuit leaving accolades in its wake. With its theater release, there is a buzz in the air, an excitement that has been a year in the making, viewers excited to see what the hype has been all about. And the wait has been well worth it.
Late Night with the Devil plays out differently than expected, but leaves you speechless in its wake. It is a film you will find yourself settling into, the recognizable structure of a late night talk series slowly trapping viewers into a slow burn horror with devastating effect. The film itself reminds of a venous fly trap, viewers lured in, only to find themselves unable to look away or to escape as the film folds into horror, paranormal and one of the best endings that will leave viewers in shock.
Our Next Guest
Late Night with the Devil immediately works to not only craft its central talk show host, but the style of the film as well. As the opening recants the success, losses and aspirations of talk show host Jack Delroy (David Mastmalchian) in documentary fashion, the film immediately embraces the 4:3 aspect ratio of classic television screens of the 1970s. With this documentary opening, Late Night with the Devil works to create the Jack Delroy audiences have come to know and love, his television persona and private life on full display yet crafted for an audience to embrace with both empathy and intrigue. The Cairnes‘ brothers want us to know the history of his career and personal life before the heart of the film even begins giving us the opportunity to place context on what is to come as well as discover the true man behind the scenes once the lights and color have been turned dark.
source: IFC Films
The opening transitions audiences to the night of Jack Delroy’s Halloween holiday show. As the episode begins, the look and feel of 1970s television is fully embraced. There is a graininess to the film speaking to time and quality, the orange and yellow color palettes engulfing the set and performers in an almost firey visceral sense of nostalgia. This particular episode of Night Owls with Jack Delroy begins like a typical episode, the evenings’ guests introduced and the host of the evening brought out to begin the night, monologues and banters with his devily dressed sidekick Gus (Rhys Auteri) making for an easy and recognizable watch. It’s so familiar, it transcends time, audiences of all ages able to relate to a structure that has carried through the decades.
As the episode works through its guests, Late Night with the Devil begins its slow burning rise of horror. It is so subtle in its execution at first, utilizing costumes in the audiences and stage performers to keep the idea of the devil ever present. From a clairvoyant (Fayssal Bazzi) to a paranormal investigator (Ian Bliss), Late Night with the Devil works with a push and pull design of whether evil and the paranormal even exist. The yo-yo effect of is it or isn’t it real works to elevate the horror in a crescendoing fashion. Constantly we are waiting for the devil to arrive, all while debating whether his appearance could even be possible – ultimately leaving audiences to ponder the smoke screen the devil truly works behind. As we are busy debating truth and fiction, our anticipated guest of the evening may already be ever-present.
source: IFC Films
Late Night with Devil creates a competing duality of what you see on screen within the Night Owls episode and what is documented behind the scenes. There is a darkness that lurks behind the sets and studio audience perspective, a blind ambition and desire that hides in the darkness plotting its next move. The Cairnes brothers work to craft this imagery by plunging the behind the scenes in black and white, removing the magic and mysticism of the cameras to create and capture the truth hidden in shadows.
Much of the films works too on the strength of its cast with a dueling sense of empathy and suspicion, each character having left audiences to question how real their intentions and abilities are, while coming to understand there is always more to a person that what meets the eye. The entire ensemble will cast their illusion of deceit and innocence, warping the film into a wild experience. Dastmalchian delivers a unique performance, embracing the innocence of his character while also elevating his flaws. You can’t help but feel for his character no matter what situation or personal flaws presents itself on stage. He commands the audience both on set and in theaters, giving a career best overall.
Conclusion
Late Night with the Devil will leave you speechless by film’s end, unable to verbalize how you feel or what you are seeing. Its final moments are unafraid to challenge you, asking you to look beyond the easily presumed and contemplate the devil within. Late Night with the Devil left the festival circuit with a buzz that has carried through to its theatrical release. And it was well worth the wait.
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