Don't tell my wife, but my latest trip to the cinema cost the best part of £50: two tickets (for me and my son) and two meals at a well known fast food burger restaurant (not the 'golden arches'... the other one), plus parking and petrol. Was it worth it? Well the burgers were overpriced and lukewarm, but the cinema seats were comfy (I went for the luxury reclining option), and the film - thank heavens - lived up to the hype.
With more than a dash of kitsch about it, Late Night with the Devil isn't particularly scary, but it is a remarkably fresh offering in a genre that has been frustratingly stale as of late. And while I never jumped out of my comfy seat, the whole thing did get under my skin with its unsettling premise - a live Halloween TV talk show that goes horribly wrong when the host dares to mess with the unknown, introducing guests who dabble in the occult.
The film is smartly directed by Cameron and Colin Cairnes, who slowly build the eerie atmosphere and absolutely nail the 1970s aesthetic; the acting is excellent, with a standout performance by David Dastmalchian as the show's host Jack Delroy; and the climax is totally wild, delivering freaky moments of gory violence and a neat twist ending that proves that dealing with the devil never ends well.
8/10. Ignore the detractors who complain about the use of AI art for the show's title cards: yeah, it's a bit lazy of the film-makers, but it's a minor quibble and something that I imagine most people won't even notice.
With more than a dash of kitsch about it, Late Night with the Devil isn't particularly scary, but it is a remarkably fresh offering in a genre that has been frustratingly stale as of late. And while I never jumped out of my comfy seat, the whole thing did get under my skin with its unsettling premise - a live Halloween TV talk show that goes horribly wrong when the host dares to mess with the unknown, introducing guests who dabble in the occult.
The film is smartly directed by Cameron and Colin Cairnes, who slowly build the eerie atmosphere and absolutely nail the 1970s aesthetic; the acting is excellent, with a standout performance by David Dastmalchian as the show's host Jack Delroy; and the climax is totally wild, delivering freaky moments of gory violence and a neat twist ending that proves that dealing with the devil never ends well.
8/10. Ignore the detractors who complain about the use of AI art for the show's title cards: yeah, it's a bit lazy of the film-makers, but it's a minor quibble and something that I imagine most people won't even notice.