Cameron and Colin Cairnes’ latest movie, Late Night with the Devil, premiered earlier this year at SXSW Film Festival. It was an immediate success, even earning praise from master of horror, Stephen King. Not content with scaring Americans alone, the Cairnes have turned their sights to Canada where Late Night with the Devil debuts as part of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
Set in the world of late night talk shows, Late Night with the Devil captures the live experience perfectly. The film centres on the career of Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). Before arriving at the live portion of Jack’s show, Late Night with the Devil rewinds to give the viewer some context about exactly who Jack Delroy is. Michael Ironside narrates a ‘Behind the Music’ style documentary that colours Jack’s history. He is painted as fame hungry and the piece sets Jack up as someone desperate for ratings. It is this desperation that leads Jack to think outside of the box for the highly competitive sweeps week. Jack decides that for the Halloween episode of his show, ‘Night Owl’, he will host a live seance.
After the initial set-up is completed, Late Night with the Devil unfolds within the framework of Jack’s fateful 1977 Halloween episode. Played out on set, as live, Last Night with the Devil is told in real time. This method of storytelling helps to draw the viewer in and places them alongside the live studio audience. The show starts innocently enough with Jack doing his opening monologue, but as his guests begin to arrive, the status quo becomes disturbed. Initially there are only little slips here and there that could be attributed to Jack ‘s overly ambitious plans, but larger cracks soon highlight that something sinister has made its way onto the set. Once the tension has been introduced, the Cairnes don’t let it drop. Gradually it builds to a monstrous crescendo, but not before your nerves have been completely frayed.
Early comparisons have been drawn between Late Night with the Devil and Ghostwatch, and it is easy to see why. Both have the live Halloween show set-up and both see something strange happen during the broadcast. However, Late Night with the Devil is far more intimate than its British counterpart. The camera lingers on Jack, capturing his reactions to the slowly unfurling horrors, and it is that direct human connection that marks it as its own entity.
David Dastmalchian is exceptional in the role of Jack, effortlessly juggling the outwardly cocky and confident persona against Jack’s more reserved and worrisome internal being. Dastmalchian has always been a reliable supporting and ensemble actor, but here he demonstrates the need for more starring roles that place him directly into the spotlight. It is his performance that really sells the piece; Jack’s transition from cool and collected to frightened and frazzled helps unsettle the viewer. If Jack is concerned, maybe the audience should be too.
From a stylistic standpoint, the Cairnes are not afraid to play. There is the opening documentary that works as a replacement to what could have been several scenes of dry and clunky exposition. Their work at creating a late night talk show set that feels as if it belongs to a real show that could have viably existed, deserves merit. But it is the idea to switch between technicolour and black and white that earns them top style points. With Late Night with the Devil told in the live TV format, it means that there are inevitable commercial breaks. During these pauses, the camera switches to black and white, communicating a break from the ‘reality’ of the show and presenting a peek behind the curtain and person, allowing the viewer to see the truth.
The two directors are also careful with their use of music, with little-to-no non-diegetic to be found. The only music that is heard is part of ‘Night Owls’, the programme’s band playing in and out of every ad break. It is another technique to push the reality aspect of watching a live recording, but the lack of score also helps stretch the tension in the eerier sections as few noises are scarier than oppressive silence.
If Late Night with the Devil can unnerve Stephen King, then it is safe to say that it is going to unsettle genre crowds around the world. The Cairnes’ attention to detail is unparalleled and their work at infusing tension is next level. An increasingly uncomfortable viewing experience, Late Night with the Devil is set to take the horror world by storm.
Late Night with the Devil
Summary
A fun and fraught viewing experience, Late Night with the Devil will delight fans of Ghostwatch whilst still offering them a surprise or two.
Late Night with the Devil was reviewed at Fantasia International Film Festival.
