Late Night with the Devil: The Best Possession Film in Years
David Dastmalchian delivers a career-defining performance in this ingeniously constructed 1970s talk show nightmare.
The Cairnes brothers have crafted something special with Late Night with the Devil. By framing their possession story as recovered footage from a 1977 Halloween broadcast, they've made found-footage feel fresh again.
David Dastmalchian is a revelation as Jack Delroy, the second-rate talk show host desperately clinging to relevance after his wife's death. His passion for the genre shows in every frame.
The period recreation is immaculate. From the grainy 4:3 footage to the cigarette smoke curling through studio lights, this feels like actual recovered material. When young Lilly takes the stage as a supposedly possessed girl, the film shifts from unsettling to genuinely frightening.
With 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and IFC Films' best-ever opening weekend, this proves possession horror—done right—can still surprise us.
Pros
- + David Dastmalchian's mesmerizing performance
- + Ingenious found-footage concept
- + Perfect 1970s period recreation
Cons
- - Brief AI-generated interstitial controversy
Verdict
Delightfully dark, endlessly creative, and genuinely terrifying.