David Dastmalchian has starred in a string of successful films, like Oppenheimer, recently. The American actor has been a staple face in various superhero franchises throughout his career, but his latest film could not have been farther from the genre.
Dastmalchian’s new film, Late Night With the Devil, adds a new flavor to the horror genre. Dubbed one of the best indie horror films of late, it has been winning accolades and rave reviews, including from the master, Stephen King himself. Even though it breathes life into a tired and overworked category of films, Late Night With the Devil has one major flaw.
What is David Dastmalchian’s Late Night With the Devil about?
The film premiered at SXSW in 2023, and it quickly won over the audience. Helmed by the Australian duo Cameron and Colin Cairnes, it tells the story of a late-night talk show host with an added twist, set in the 1970s.
Jack Delroy is a comedian who hosts his show ‘Night Owls with Jack Delroy’. In order to bump up his ratings, Delroy decides to bring on Dr. June Ross-Mitchell to promote her book on Satanic cults on Halloween night. To spice up the episode further, Ross-Mitchell is accompanied by Lilly, the sole survivor of a group that was overcome by some kind of demonic hysteria and ended up committing suicide.
While Delroy was just looking to transform his show into a must-watch, he bit off more than he could chew. Even the audience watching at home got more than what they had bargained for.
David Dastmalchian, who has appeared in popular films like The Suicide Squad and Ant-Man, plays the host, Jack Delroy. Laura Gordon plays the parapsychologist, Dr. June Ross-Mitchell, while Ingrid Torelli plays Lilly.
The film has won numerous awards already, including Best Screenplay at the Sitges Film Festival. At Toronto After Dark, it won the award for Best Feature Film, and Dastmalchian picked up the honors for Best Lead Performance.
Dastmalchian himself was humbled by the film, which offered a fresh perspective on his work. In a statement (via Variety), he said:
“Playing Jack Delroy in ‘Late Night With the Devil’ was a once-in-a-lifetime role that haunted me and changed the way I look at my work forever.”
The Cairnes brothers have a hit film on their hands, it seems. Unfortunately, there is still a major issue plaguing the film.
Fans point out the flaw in the hit horror film from the Cairnes brothers
The Late Night With the Devil premiered with a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is being hailed as a masterpiece from the Australian duo. Unfortunately, one issue is haunting the film.
Fans have pointed out how no effort has been made by the production company to promote it in any way. Many had not even heard of it prior to the news of its Rotten Tomatoes score online.
Marketing is failing this movie tremendously.
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) March 15, 2024
i literally haven’t seen any marketing for this movie at all
— harv (@harvv) March 15, 2024
Why have I never heard of this movie? Wow, it's in theaters right now and I've never even seen a trailer.
— ☣Less Than Zero☣ (@_LessThanZer0_) March 15, 2024
Never heard of it until now. But I’ll definitely check it out
— Sora Synn【ENVTuber】 (@SoraSynn) March 15, 2024
IFC and Shudder bought the rights to screen the film last year. AGC will oversee the sale of the film in American markets. Late Night With the Devil will hit a limited number of screens on March 22nd, 2024.
