Set in the late 1970s, Late Night With The Devil is essentially a story of a late-night live broadcast gone wrong wherein an unassuming evil is unleashed into the nation’s living rooms. The story here is fresh and it takes the fear element of horror from a haunted house setting, and plants it in a live broadcast. To give you a perspective, it is almost like watching a live TV show as viewers while witnessing the evil unfold in front of you. And that for me was a winner of a concept. The screenplay standing at just 90 odd minutes is taut and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Yet, there is a sense of purpose in the writing that engages you with some interesting conversations before unleashing the horror element, signs of which are left behind as bread crumbs throughout the narrative.

The drama opens with the introduction of the protagonist who is shown to be a TV host, and seen hosting a popular TV show. You are also acquainted with his wife who eventually passes away from a prolonged illness, thus leaving the protagonist dazed with sadness. Yet, the events of the film unfold through one of his shows wherein he is tasked to relaunch his popular show and in turn garner high Television Rating Points on Halloween Night. The writers indulge the viewers with a lot of talks through the many guests that appear on the show. I did like the contrasting approach of of the makers showcasing the ‘live’ TV show in a grainy pixelated frame while the behind the scenes part was shot in black and white, that contributed to the eerie drama in many ways.

The proceedings are engrossing and every character ‘on the show’ does add a different dimension to the drama. What begins as fun and games in the form of a comedy(that was the show format), soon begins to show traces of the horror element with a little possession that makes an appearance on live TV. There is a subplot involving a game of one-upmanship that unfolds between a couple of guests, both of whom belonged to the same profession. There are layers of trauma that are deftly touched upon while the tone of the drama remains consistent throughout. The element of horror is tactfully built-up in the minds of the viewers through the antics of the guest while the conversations just continue to flow.

The final act featuring the last 15 minutes of the film is perhaps the best for a horror film that I have watched all year. The kind of atmosphere that was built up coupled with the crazy antics of all the guests just adds layers of fear in your mind while witnessing mayhem unfold onscreen. The final twist in the tale was a great one thus summing up a screenplay which is extremely well written while adding a whole new layer of freshness with its retro setting.