The premise of IFC Film’s new found-footage horror thriller, “Late Night With The Devil,” is simple but effective. A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Written, directed, and edited by Australian siblings Cameron and Colin Cairnes (“Scare Campaign”), the film made its world premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest Film Festival.
The film stars David Dastmalchian, perhaps best known for his odd looks but appearances in movies like Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune,” and “Prisoners,” superhero films like Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” (also “Oppenheimer”), James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” and his recurring role in Marvel’s “Ant-Man” franchise (he was also in the animated “What If…?” reprising the same character).
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“Late Night With The Devil” also stars Laura Gordon, Fayssal Bazzi, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Josh Quong Tart, and Georgina Haig.
Here’s the SXSW synopsis, which has a little bit more meat on it:
October 31, 1977. Jack Delroy’s syndicated talk show ‘Night Owls’ has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country, but a year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other, unaware he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America. “Late Night With The Devil” is the recently rediscovered recording of what went to air that fateful night.
IFC Films will open “Late Night With The Devil” in theaters on March 22, and Shudder will premiere the film on its streaming service a month later, on April 19, 2024. Watch the new trailer below.