We sat through it so you don’t have to.
📹 The Premise
In Late Night with the Devil, we follow a 1970s late-night TV host making one last desperate attempt to save his ratings during Halloween sweeps. The plan? Go full spooky: invite a psychic, a debunker, a traumatized child host to a demon, and the psychologist who wrote Talking with the Devil. What could go wrong on live TV?
As the episode unfolds, so does the chaos. Paranormal activity, hypnotism, audience walkouts, and a demonic possession escalate the drama in real time. The problem? Somewhere between the practical effects and the promising concept, the movie loses its voice.
Listen to the review on Apple Podcasts
🎥 The Format
It’s a stylized blend of “found footage,” studio broadcast tape, and behind-the-scenes cuts (shown in black and white) that aims to replicate the look and feel of a real vintage TV production. The set is period-perfect, the VHS flicker filters are on point, and the commercial breaks have that classic “Please Stand By” energy.
But the emotional throughline? Wobbly. We left more confused than creeped out — and not in the “elevated horror” kind of way.
✅ What Makes It Work
We’ll give credit where it’s due: the set design is fantastic. It convincingly sells the 1970s talk show vibe. The visual blend of on-air and backstage moments helps separate real-time action from narrative reveals. One standout performance came from the young girl playing the demon vessel — her unsettling delivery was campy in a way that sort of worked.
The film also touches on some interesting themes — the power of suggestion, media manipulation, and grief as a gateway to vulnerability. There’s an attempt to comment on how far we’ll go to hold attention, especially on TV. But…
⚠️ What Doesn’t Land
...the story doesn’t really land anywhere. We spent most of the film unsure whether we were watching satire, psychological horror, or campy theater. The script tiptoes around deeper ideas — grief, cult influence, morality in media — but never commits. Is he haunted by demons or haunted by ratings?
The acting felt flat. Deadpan delivery where intensity was needed. Hollow moments where emotional stakes should have kicked in. And while the hypnosis subplot briefly flirts with interesting ideas about mass suggestion and gullibility, it gets dropped in favor of vague ghost logic and worm hallucinations. (Yeah. Worms.)
🎯 The Verdict
This movie had so much potential. The concept is solid. The era is rich. The genre lane is wide open. But for us, it felt like it kept setting up pins that never got knocked down. It hints at cult conspiracy, emotional breakdowns, demonic possession — but never lets any of it hit full force.
We both gave it a 3 out of 10. For the set, the effort, and the premise, not the payoff. If you’re deeply into art house horror or stylized ‘70s aesthetics, it might land. But for us? It missed.
🍿 Pair This Movie With...
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Snack: Leftover Halloween candy no one really wanted
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Drink: Flat soda with a questionable aftertaste
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Activity: Rewatching a better possession film to cleanse your palate