Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Late Night with the Devil (2023) is a retro-styled horror set during a 1977 live late-night television broadcast that is meant to be sensational — and quickly becomes deadly. What begins as a stunty, ratings-driven TV event turns into a slow-burn nightmare as the show’s host and crew confront something far darker than manufactured controversy: an actual demonic presence that fractures the set, the broadcast, and the viewers at home. The film is presented like recovered archival footage of the live show, complete with grainy videotape aesthetics, period production design and an unnerving sense of immediacy. Expect a steady escalation from wry, satirical jabs at television sensationalism into genuine dread: the humor and studio banter give way to surreal occurrences, tense interpersonal breakdowns, sudden shocks and increasingly disturbing imagery. Practical effects, tight sound design and claustrophobic camerawork are used to make the horror feel intimate and “in the room” — as if the evil really did leak into your living room along with the broadcast. If you watch it, you’ll experience a mix of dark humor and creeping terror, built on a convincing 1970s atmosphere. Fans of pseudo-archival or live-broadcast horror will appreciate the period detail and mounting tension; viewers should be prepared for scenes of possession, violence and unsettling occult visuals. Overall, it’s a stylish, unnerving ride about the dangers of spectacle and what can happen when a show goes beyond the script.

Actors: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss

Directors: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes

Genre: Horror

72 /100 7.0 /10 7.1 /10