‘Late Night With the Devil’ review: A gory mesh of horror and satire

Author’s note: It wasn’t until after I watched and reviewed this film that I learned about the Cairnes’ use of AI imagery in Late Night With the Devil. Even if it was just three images, it was still very disappointing to discover, especially after all the conversations about how dangerous it is to creatives just trying to make a living. While the Cairnes did make a statement (a weak one, I may add), they need to do better in the future, as do all the other studios and filmmakers considering using AI. Pay your artists and crew members a living wage, and don’t use stolen artwork.

What would happen if you brought a demon on as a special guest on live television? Siblings Colin and Cameron Cairnes explore that in Late Night With the Devil, a satirical horror film that thrives on blood and chaos—all for the sake of primetime television.

David Dastmalchian plays Jack Delroy, the charismatic host of The Night Owl, a popular late-night talk show that could never get to #1 in ratings despite being a big success (Damn you, Johnny Carson). But all that success vanished when Delroy’s wife, Madeleine, passed away from terminal cancer, causing Jack to leave the spotlight in mourning.  

But then he comes back with a great idea to get the #1 spot: host a spooky-themed episode on Halloween night with four interesting guests: Christou, a medium (Fayssal Bazzi), Carmichael Haig, a magician-turned-skeptic (Ian Bliss), Dr. June Ross-Mitchell, a parapsychologist (Laura Gordon), and her patient, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a young girl who a demon has supposedly possessed. 

Fitting the mockumentary style

Late Night With the Devil adopts a mockumentary format detailing the entire episode and the behind-the-scenes footage that ultimately led to its demise. It’s a delicious blend of gory horror and satire, parodying the lengths that late-night shows went to nab the #1 spot in ratings. Its boxy aspect ratio and fuzzy lighting encapsulate the feeling of a 1970s picture as if the footage was actually dug up from an archive. 

The film as a mockumentary is a little hit or miss and might have benefited from abandoning the format altogether. Unlike most mockumentaries, it’s not dependent on additional interviews or footage that’s not from the actual show. All it has is an introduction to Jack that’s a little too heavy-handed with the exposition. With such a massive info dump at the beginning, the ending is not as special because the audience already knows what to expect. The overall narrative would have been stronger if the film focused on Jack as a main character rather than a subject. 

Dastmalchian is a star and acts like he has been a talk show host for years. He portrays Jack as someone who can command a room but also take a step back for others to perform. He earns the title of horror’s new “Scream King.” We watch as he brings pride to that title in the leading role, especially at the film’s tumultuous end. 

The bottom line

Late Night With the Devil may not be the strongest story-wise, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. The Cairnes siblings have created something scary, gory, and relevant, especially given our current state of media, where folks will do anything for a click or view. Because let’s be honest: if an influencer had the opportunity to bring the devil onto their show, they absolutely would. 

Late Night With The Devil is out now in theaters and will premiere on Shudder April 19, 2024.

Images courtesy of Shudder/IFC Films