I had a real blast with LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (Dir. Colin & Cameron Cairnes, 2024) and thoroughly recommend it for horror fans. A kind of mashup of GHOSTWATCH and THE EXORCIST, with shades of HALLOWEEN III, It’s atmospheric and well crafted, really capturing the feeling of late-70s “Satanic Panic” era USA TV. A solid cast really helps sell it, especially David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, the host of the show.
I think the only areas it didn’t work for me was some of the more outlandish VFX and makeup work. It’s almost like the makers of the film mixed up the idea of making a period film set in this time, with making a horror film that actually looked like it was made in the 70s/80s. The FX work – both Computer Generated and Practical – leaned towards a retro style (think KUNG FURY), rather than the realism and subtlety (that can be achieved with modern technology) it probably deserved. The finale would have felt genuinely chilling if it had been more relatedly “real”.
That probably makes the final thing a solid 7/10. It’s not perfect, but it is very entertaining and absolutely worth your time!
