What if the devil showed up on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson or SNL in the ’70s? This year’s Late Night with the Devil gives a possible scenario of how that would play out.
Written/directed by Cameron and Colin Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres 2012, Scare Campaign 2016) and released theatrically in the USA by IFC Films on March 22, 2024, available for streaming through Shudder since April 19th, put out as Limited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook and DVD on September 10th, and recently released as a limited glow-in-the-dark VHS on October 28th, Late Night with the Devil has received a lot of buzz. Starring David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight 2008, Dune 2021) as Jack Delroy, the host of Night Owls with Jack Delroy, there is also Laura Gordon (Saw V 2009, Undertow 2018), Ian Bliss (The Matrix Reloaded 2003, Stealth 2005), Fayssal Bazzi (The Merger 2018, Stateless series), Ingrid Torelli (Bloom series, Five Bedrooms series), with Michael Ironside (Scanners 1981, Top Gun 1986) narrating.
Jack Delroy is a struggling late-night talk show host whose ratings have plummeted after his wife’s tragic death. Desperate to revive his show, he plans a special Halloween episode in 1977. Unknowingly, he invites a malevolent entity onto the airwaves, unleashing evil into the living rooms of America during a live broadcast.
First off, like any talk show, there is a quirkiness to Late Night with the Devil in its presentation, complete with the announcer, backup band, heels and faces, and studio audience. Unlike this year’s Salem’s Lot, which is supposed to be set in 1975 but looks like it was shot in 2024, Late Night with the Devil looks its age like it was shot with Kodak Eastman’s 5247 100T II 35 mm stock with aspect ratios of 1.33:1for talk show scenes and 1.66:1 and 2.35:14:3 for documentary segments. Most moviegoers will not care, but looking authentic counts.
Furthermore, the set, which really just has the studio as the main set piece other than cutaways in flashbacks or commercials, truly looks lifted from talk shows of the 1970s, as do the cast’s haircuts and clothes. However, there is one blemish to the authenticity of Late Night with the Devil, which is truly a sign of the times: the use of AI.
Admittedly, the Cairnes said they wanted to experiment with AI, so they used it to enhance at least three segway cards. It is a very small piece of the movie, for sure. Still, it raises the debate on the use of AI in art since AI is an amalgamation of sources culled from the internet to generate whatever the person tells the AI to make as opposed to the artist doing the creation. With every advent of new technology, there is the threat it gets overused, as with CGI getting started in the, say, the mid-90s and really picking up in the late ’00s, so action sequences look more like video games like this year’s Furiosa.
On a serious note, Late Night with the Devil tackles the debate of how far a talk show will go for ratings, which has had real-life implications in the past. For instance, The Jenny Jones Show in 1995 had an episode where Scott Amedure publicly revealed in the episode that he had a crush on Jonathan Schmitz, who claimed that he was straight but flattered by the revelation. He was not flattered; he was embarrassed. Watching, you can see his body language. On March 9th of that year, Jonathan murdered Scott and effectively killed The Jenny Jones Show with horrible publicity. Jack would literally sell his soul to the devil to beat the competition, and, as we all know, the devil does not give without taking something in return.
Also, the movie has social commentary on how easily audiences are manipulated by the media consumed. Here is where some psychological and Body Horror are employed to biting effect. Lastly, grief plays a pivotal part in the driving force behind the movie in a stated but understated way. These play a big part in the third act, which can be confusing as the lines between reality and not get muddled if the opening montage isn’t paid attention to.
The best theatrical debut for an IFC Film, will Late Night with the Devil get a sequel? If the devil wills it, there will be more, with the Cairnes having discussed the possibility of a sequel, including a “spiritual” one, saying they have established enough lore to explore the Late Night universe further. Untilt hen, Cryptic Rock gives Late Night with the Devil 4 of 5 stars.
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