Late Night with the Devil (2024)

The high-concept horror film succeeds as a forbidden, immersive 1970s nightmare anchored by Dastmalchian’s magnetic performance. Jackson singles out the meticulous production design, sound design, and escalating tension as making it one of the year’s best horror films.

A found-footage frightener that freshens demonic possession clichés with jet black humour and superb effects in a 1970s chat show setting, briskly entertaining and unnerving.

Praises it as a diabolically brilliant found-footage horror, like Alan Partridge by way of The Exorcist, with clever ideas and creepy atmosphere.

David Dastmalchian shines in this sophisticated horror movie that stands out for its clever premise and execution.

Dastmalchian delivers a star-making turn as a slick yet uncertain late-night host in this inventive horror film set during a single 1977 broadcast. Ebiri praises the actor’s layered performance and the film’s structural conceit but notes it loses steam in the final act.

The directors have fun sending up TV conventions as a failing host attempts to revive his career by communing with a demon supposedly possessing a teenage girl. The film capably bottles the strained ersatzness of studio television but does not cut through to anything genuinely disturbing.

The critic finds this found-footage horror a chilling success that blends Network and The Exorcist, focusing on the venality of fame-seeking in late-night TV. Praise goes to the tension-building and strong central performance by David Dastmalchian.

The film is a clever found-footage satire in which a desperate 1970s talk-show host invites the supernatural onto live TV. Ehrlich praises David Dastmalchian’s leading performance while highlighting the film’s effective recreation of period television.

The critic describes the film as a sly, aw-shucksy chiller that cleverly reminds viewers the entertainment business was built on hocus-pocus, centering on a talk show host whose desperate ratings grab unleashes supernatural chaos on Halloween 1977. She highlights the lead performance and period satire as strengths.

Inventive and entertaining blend of found footage and possession in a 70s talk show format, with excellent performance by Dastmalchian; distinctive despite Ghostwatch comparisons.

The critic finds the ingenious concept of a demonic live TV broadcast undermined by failure to stick to its formal rules, resulting in an underwhelming film despite strong performances and production.

The Cairnes brothers deliver a devilishly fun horror satire by transplanting occult tropes into a 1970s talk-show format. McIndoe highlights Dastmalchian’s charming yet shadowed lead performance and the film’s retro practical effects while noting some loss of tension midway.

The critic finds the film a trimly effective horror pastiche that captures an occult-obsessed nation through its found-footage format of a late-night show gone wrong. She praises its nasty, delicious flair for menace and real-time structure that transforms viewers into 1977 audiences.

The critic calls the film a clever construct blending found-footage horror with 1970s TV satire, where a live broadcast devolves into supernatural chaos. He praises its fresh satiric gloss on Me Decade showbiz cheese and deft handling by the directors, though notes its impact is more ingenious than indelible.

The critic calls it the best horror movie of the year so far and one of the most inventive takes on found footage in years. They single out the original Ghostwatch-inspired approach, exceptional retro production design, and strong performances, particularly from newcomer Ingrid Torelli as Lilly.

The critic calls it the year’s most stylish horror movie thanks to its meticulous recreation of a 1970s late-night broadcast and its playful found-footage structure. They single out David Dastmalchian’s twitchy, transfixing lead performance for particular praise.

The review highlights Dastmalchian's commanding performance and the film's shift to fearsome fun when it embraces chaos, but notes the found footage framing can be restrictive.

The critic finds the film an experiential, intelligent fusion of Network and Rosemary's Baby that delivers well on the organic goose-bump level of a well-told urban myth. He singles out the richly detailed recreation of 1970s late-night TV rituals and Dastmalchian's performance as the chat-show host for particular praise, while noting the ending adds some excess baggage.

The critic praises the film's authentic 1970s late-night TV setting and especially David Dastmalchian's charismatic yet desperate lead performance as host Jack Delroy. They note strong direction and nightmarish imagery but wish there were more scares and question some aspects of the mockumentary structure.

The critic praises the film's commitment to the 1970s talk show format and David Dastmalchian's lead performance, calling it a winning midnight staple. They note it finds substance in its satirical script but occasionally loses control in the chaos.