In this incredibly inventive horror from the talented writer/director team of brothers, Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) hosts a once successful TV talk show called ‘Night Owls’. It started in 1971, but, by late 1977, the ratings are plummeting, with Johnny Carson’s show trouncing them. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack plans a Halloween special featuring a teenage girl, Lily (Ingrid Torelli), who is supposedly possessed by the devil.
I saw Late Night with the Devil second in a double bill with Immaculate. In my review of that, I claimed it was the best horror film of the year so far. However, this one immediately surpassed it. It is ingeniously staged, showing the audience a master tape of the fateful show, mixed with newly uncovered filming of the back stage events. The found footage idea has been way over used but this adds a new twist. It really feels like we are watching something from the 1970’s and Dastmalchian perfectly captures the fake sincerity and smarm of a talk show host.
The tension is slowly built up until Lilly takes centre stage in a brilliant scene superbly performed by Torelli. The rest of the cast is spot on, especially Ian Bliss as a debunker of fake psychics and Rhys Auteri as Jack’s insecure sidekick.
I feel that there was a good chance to end the film on a particularly horrific note, but instead it carries on for another 10 minutes where it goes a bit too far over the top, lessening the impact of what we saw before. It remains, though, a refreshingly different experience.
Rating: 8 out of 10