An ostensibly routine Halloween broadcast of a late-night talk show unravels into genuine horror in the exquisitely staged 2024 film Late Night with the Devil, featuring David Dastmalchian as host Jack Delroy. Directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes present the movie as a discovered 1977 telecast stitched together with backstage black-and-white footage; after a concise documentary-style prologue that sets the scene, the remainder plays out in real time with increasing menace. (Dastmalchian’s prior roles include The Suicide Squad and the forthcoming Murderbot.)
Desperate to reverse slipping ratings and still haunted by his wife’s death, Jack has struck a Faustian bargain for fame—yet he remains behind Johnny Carson in the numbers. Determined to jolt viewers, he engineers a shock-driven Halloween episode that brings together a possibly fraudulent medium, a magician-turned-skeptic, and a young girl suspected of demonic possession tied to an infamous cult. Dastmalchian anchors the film with a performance that is alternately wry, raw with grief, and intoxicatingly hungry for celebrity, no matter the cost.
The film’s concise running time and claustrophobic studio setting are exploited brilliantly, with practical effects that feel period-authentic rather than gimmicky. Disturbing touches—like the writhing worms that torment Jack’s uneasy sidekick Gus (Rhys Auteri) and the torn, exposed-film imagery that implies a malevolent presence forcing its way through the television—stay with you long after the credits roll.
Late Night with the Devil is a deliberate throwback to a time when channel surfers on Halloween might stumble upon something unsettling in the late-night lineup. Even amid today’s endless streaming choices, its darkly comic tone, escalating shocks, and devastating final act make it a standout worth seeking out.
Where to watch: Streaming on Shudder, Hulu, and Kanopy, and available to rent or buy on Amazon and other digital retailers.
Polygon’s annual Halloween Countdown is a 31-day series of compact recommendations highlighting the best horror films, TV episodes, and seasonal specials to stream this Halloween. You can find the full calendar here.
Source: Polygon
