Movie review: Devil
By Megan Carroll
People seem to love to hate M. Night Shyamalan and his work, but don’t let this deter you from seeing Devil. You’ll be glad you did. Working along side screenwriter Brian Nelson (30 Days of Night) and director John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine), M. Night brings to life an exceptional piece of storytelling.
In Devil, we are introduced to five sketchy characters played by Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O’Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, and Geoffrey Arend, all of whom are trapped on a high-rise elevator. Their problems are far more devastating than just being trapped, however; they are also being terrorized by an unknown killer. A killer who just might be the Devil coming to collect their foul souls. Eventually, we come to find that each character has a story that relates to how they find themselves in this predicament. On the outside, a newly sober police detective (Chris Messina) is struggling to figure out what is happening in the elevator and why.
The great cinematographer, Tak Fujimoto, brings this film to a higher level and draws the audience even deeper into M. Night’s disturbing tale. Fujimoto plays around with excellent zoom shots and toys with the blank space inside the widescreen frame. Keep a close eye on the outer screen; you may or may not be glad you did! The film’s focus on existential uncertainty and the 80 minute run time reminded me of Val Lewton’s psychological horror films from the 1940s (Cat People, The Body Snatcher, Bedlam). Unfortunately, I don’t feel M. Night reached the depths needed to make this more than just a good horror film.
This film should not be overlooked. Devil is an excellent film that will make you think, while at the same time scaring the devil out of you!
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