June Movie Pick: 'Late Night with the Devil'

To be completely honest, I was expecting something scarier. I appreciate the whole look of the film, the vibe it contained, and the way the director played with the audience, but I really wanted more demon possession moments. What I loved about this movie is the tone of the entire production. The feeling that I was part of the audience never left me, and it was absolutely entertaining to be part of this show. Every time they cut to commercials and the film became black and white, like there was no substance to life outside of the spotlight, it was incredible. This commentary on the importance of where the camera was pointing, as well as not taking themselves too seriously while giving the impression that they do, was inspiring to watch. There was a meta play with the audience, and I felt like everyone in the theater, though we weren’t many, felt it. We were the audience, and when the movie went dark, it was successful.

The moments with Ingrid Torelli, who played Lili, were thrilling. She absolutely nailed the possessed person role, and I wish I had more time with her. It felt like I was promised more, but it ended quickly without giving me enough time to feel the possession. In the end, I left the cinema wanting more, but at the same time, I felt like I didn’t waste my time. I was glad to see David Dastmalchian in this role because he is having a moment, and coming from 'The Boogeyman' and 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter,' where he delved into the horror genre, he is carving a path in this space, and I am thrilled to watch him. I'm kind of sick of seeing the same actors everywhere, so it's good to see someone non-traditional looking experimenting with the craft. Fayssal Bazzi also made an impression, not necessarily a good one, because he was very good in his role, and the less you know of actors, the more easily you get consumed by their performance.

Finally, the visual effects were a bit comic, and as I said, I wanted a more serious approach to such a distinguished movie. The finale, where Jack goes through some stuff, I wished was more experimental than what we got. I wish the movie traveled to our age and explored scarier visions with Abraxas. The demon, by the way, rang a bell because he was part of the early seasons of 'Charmed,' where the three sisters kicked his ass. Shout out to Abraxas, great role. The movie felt incredibly short; after going through movies that are 2 hours plus, an hour and a half feels like a blink and you miss it. Still, this runtime felt refreshing for the same reason that I mentioned. It was still daytime when we got out of the movie theater. I recommend it.

Iliya Badev