By John Corrado

Late Night with the Devil is an indie horror film from directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes that is built around the inventive concept of being assembled from the lost tapes from a live TV broadcast of an old 1970s late night talk show.

David Dastmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, the old school host of Night Owls with Jack Delroy, a variety show competing with Johnny Carson for ratings. Desperate for a sweeps week boost, Delroy puts together a Halloween special on All Hallow’s Eve in 1977, which is what this film is mostly built around.

The show’s guests include psychic Christou (Fayssai Bazzi), skeptic Carmichael (Ian Bliss), parapsychologist Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), and her teenaged patient Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a young victim of satanic ritual abuse who claims she can commune with the devil. But things go awry when they end up accidentally channelling demonic spirits in the studio.

The film has been embroiled in controversy as of late over its brief uses of AI-generated title cards, an unfortunate inclusion given the hand-crafted feel of the rest of the movie. The real selling point of Late Night with the Devil are its uses of practical effects and 1970s aesthetic, making this feel almost like an artifact from a different era. Through this, the low-budget film offers an enjoyably creepy tone and some unsettling moments.

The film develops a disturbing atmosphere that is heightened by a prologue featuring news clips and narration that establish links to historical events of the time period (including the real life Bohemian Grove conspiracy theory). The dialogue-driven screenplay by the Cairnes brothers smartly keeps us questioning what is really going on, with skeptic Carmichael serving as the voice of doubt trying to claim that this is all an elaborate hoax being crafted for easily duped TV audiences.

The film works due to its near-full commitment to the bit of this being an old 1970s talk show, including a strong performance from Dastmalchian. Dastmalchian gives the portrayal of Jack Delroy his all, with the appearance and speaking cadence of a ’70s talk show host, in a welcome leading role for the actor mostly known for his supporting roles in big blockbusters. He guides us through a unique horror film that is both entertaining and chilling.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Late Night with the Devil opens exclusively in theatres in limited release on March 22nd. It’s being distributed in Canada by IFC Films.