Dir. Cameron & Colin Cairnes | Now in Theaters | Rating: 4/5

The first four months of 2024’s horror releases have flown by with no real standouts. Nothing impressive or scathing enough to really comment on, which is a horror reviewer’s worst nightmare. I was excited for Late Night with the Devil, and its acting prowess, aesthetic, and creativity did not disappoint. 

Late Night plays on the funky 1970s era of television obsession, nuclear families, and the brewing fear of occultism that would come to a head years later in the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. This film is visually and aesthetically impressive, serving as a carefully crafted technicolor time capsule of the era. Not to mention, it manages to so cleverly subvert the tropes of the possession subgenre. 

The acting in this film is stellar across the board, led by one of horror’s unsung stars David Dastmalchian. Jack Delroy has quickly become one of my favorite leading male characters in horror, presenting as so innately relatable as he tries to quench his thirst for stardom in the wake of a devastating loss. Alongside the characters of Carmichael and Lily, Jack’s Icarian spiral toward his show’s demise is enchanting and entertaining. 

Where Late Night loses me is its ending. Though I loved the play on the elements of suspension of belief in television, the commentary (or lack thereof) on the legitimate occultism at play here had much to be desired. The film somehow manages to provide answers to the wrong questions, when there is so much left unsaid. 

Onto the debate of the use of AI in the title sequence of the film. I’ll admit I’m not well versed enough on the intricacies and actual use of AI in the film to comment too critically. In my research, I found an interview from Variety that claims the AI generated images were further altered by human artists, which led to their eventual inclusion in the film. I will agree that this does lead us down a slippery slope in art, but I wonder how avoidable it may legitimately be, even with a boycott. 

If you are on the moral end of the fence that wants to see this film, it is definitely not one to miss from this year.

Know Before You Watch: Features flashing lights, death, blood, gore.