The O

In most markets, critics were not invited to DEVIL promotional screenings, held at 11:59 on Thursday night.

And 11:59 on a Thursday night wouldn't be a press screening anyway.

Universal was hiding the film. After a summer of trailer mockery, I can't blame them.

And, for the record, my audience booed the film when it was over. Of course, one guy had a puppet with him. But a boo is a boo.

Jay G.

So was he booing, or was the puppet booing?

nando820

Yeah i don't get why every movie he makes keeps being advertised like that as if his name has any credibility left.
Like a Lohan movie you know it will suck

TGM

puppet, but the guys lips moved.

mdc3000

It was better than I thought it would be despite being able to call who the 'devil' was right from the start due to the casting. I would have liked it more if it didn't feel like a morality fable, which could have been solved by ending it 4 minutes earlier. I think the things that made it effective were slick cinematography and a Hermann-esque score that keeps the tension up and the pacing was very good. For a PG-13 flick it worked well without having any real onscreen violence. It's not Shakespeare but I had fun with it and it makes me intrigued to see another installment of The Night Chronicles... which is surprising because I've been pissed at M. Night for the last few years and was not expecting to like it at all.

lopper

Who the fuck boo's a movie?

Ghostface180

Just got back from seeing this. I loved it for the most part... creepy, suspenseful and well paced. A decent amount of violence for a PG-13 flick too. But then it all falls apart in the last ten minutes... the ending was just so damn underwhelming and unsatisfying. Like Strafe wrote in his review, it felt like Still worth checking out as it's definitely the best movie M. Night has been a part of in a while, even if he's likely to blame for Devil's flaws.

"Devil" made me think of an article I read the other day where M. Night discusses Unbreakable 2:


I think for the future Night Chronicles movies to succeed, Shyamalan has got to reduce his involvement to strictly name only. The man just can't stop ruining great concepts with his silly "twists."

Eric F

The guy was drinking a glass of water while the puppet was booing.
People who want their $10+ and 90mins of their life back.

moviewizguy

It's probably an isolated incident. Most of the reactions from people who have seen it are really, really positive so far.

Rammsteinfan

I liked it. It wasnt the best movie of the year but it wasnt horrible. Hopefully the second film in the series is a little better.

HE Pennypacker

The triumphant return of M. Night Shyamalan! Well, sort of. Baby steps, Night.

Rypro 525

fixed

Eric F

Well, if anything good is coming out of this it's that his movies are getting shorter...

RichC2

Thats just because he didn't write (the screenplay) or direct this one. Other people realize his stories don't sustain for nearly 2 hours.

SuprVgeta

LMFAO!!! You have got to be kidding me!!! "The schnozzberries taste like schnozzberries" geek is married to Christina Hendricks!!?! Wow....

Daytripper

Seriously!? You telling us you've never been to a single film where at least one person in the audience did boo or shout something out at the screen at the end??

Supermallet

Honestly, who throws a shoe?

moviewizguy

The Night Chronicles is a series of three M. Night Shyamalan-produced films that gives up and coming filmmakers the chance to break out. Shyamalan makes up the story and lets other potential filmmakers write and direct his idea, which is probably a good thing since a lot of people hate him at this point. DEVIL is the first of the three and it's basically about a group of people trapped in an elevator who realize that the devil is among them. I won't go any further into that because it'll ruin the many surprises in the film.

Now here's something you don't see every day: A horror movie that is NOT a remake and DOESN'T rely on clichés and jump scares! Is it really happening? You better believe it. Inspired from Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (AKA: TEN LITTLE INDIANS), DEVIL is actually more than a "throwaway" horror film than the previews may have led you to suspect. There's something much more sinister going on than trying to figure out which one of the five people is the Devil.

Is DEVIL scary? Not really, but it's damn creepy and suspenseful in many parts of the film. The Dowdle brothers, the directors, used the technique "less is more," which surprisingly works in trying to get under your skin. DEVIL also pushes the PG-13 rating a bit, even though it cuts away in a lot of scenes. There are also some pretty cool twists throughout the film. The brilliant cinematography by Tak Fujimoto takes advantage of the cramped space in the elevator to make the audience feel like they're stuck in there with the rest of the characters. Fujimoto also gives us sweeping and gorgeous views of downtown Philadelphia.

The castmembers range from sufficient to outstanding. Logan Marshall-Green and Bojana Novakovic stood out to me the most, both giving some very raw performances. Novakovic, in particular, is a rising star. I also liked Chris Messina, the biggest star in the cast. Bokeem Woodbine was a hit or miss, though. Geoffrey Arend is actually the character that gives audiences some laughs while putting our guards down and later have the film pull the rug from under our feet. Jenny O'Hara rounds out the main cast playing your typical old lady.

The sound effects actually pay a huge part in this film in trying to mess with your head. When the lights go out in the elevator, all hell breaks loose and your overactive imagination will do some mental damage to your head. The great soundtrack by Fernando Velázquez also ratchets up the tension. With a running time of 75 minutes (without credits), the film moves in a quick and entertaining fashion, never letting go of the audience's interest.

When the credits roll, DEVIL ends up being more of a morality tale rather than your typical "whodunnit" film. The film is creepy and there's a lot of suspense propelled by realistic performances by some of the castmembers and the claustrophobic feel in the elevator. If you want an original horror film that messes with your head, entertains you throughout, has a truly satisfying conclusion, and leaves you with something to think about, DEVIL is the perfect film. Don't let M. Night Shyamalan's name turn you off. I think it's the best horror film this year so far. 8/10

moviewizguy

Yes, because a 3 hour film like Pirates of the Carribean 3 was such a masterpiece.

Sooner or later, you'd realize that a film's running time does not equal the quality.

moviewizguy

It's not lame at all. There's a clear takeaway message and it's not some trashy throwaway film. If you just read the spoilers, you won't "get it" until you actually experience the events in order. You can say for Fight Club and that would sound equally as lame. Use some common sense.

Supermallet

Moviewizguy, there is a multiquote feature that this forum employs. Please use it. Thank you.

GenPion

I thought the trailers for this film made it look absolutely awful and I am probably the biggest fan of M. Night Shyamalan's work on this entire forum. Having seen the film tonight I can confidently say that my fears that this would disappoint have been beautifully avoided. The direction definitely takes the stance that "less is more" and was fitting for something by M. Night. The screenplay by Brian Nelson (Hard Candy) was truly effective and rarely relied on cliches or unnecessary horror tactics.

Recently, I read in an interview with M. Night and the rest of Devil's film-maker's that Night himself wrote a twenty page treatment for the entire film. It shows throughout. The thematic elements and stylistic characteristics inherent in Shyamalan's work are also prevalent here and will make the work appealing for anyone that considers themselves a fan. If you are able to understand why M. Night's work is about so much more than the "twist" element then you can also see in Devil that a major element of the conclusion is used to bring an emotional core to the film, which in turn makes it one of the best horror films of the entire year, and thereby the entire production is not simply a result of trying to surprise us: it is there to effectively enrich our lives and the results are unquestionably worthy of the mere (and this is NOT a complaint!) eighty minute run time.

Now if only I could find a copy of the score by Fernando Velázquez -- which was truly one of the most effective film scores of the entire year. Bravo.

All around, Bravo.

lopper

Yes, that's right. I honestly can't remember ever being in a movie where someone booed at the screen.

I have been there when they've applauded, which seems equally absurd to me.

CaptainMarvel

Saw it today... I thought it was great. I was irritated beforehand at the short running time, but the movie was just very streamlined, with almost no fat on it.

nando820

...but all the flavor is in the fat