Devil
| release date | September 17 2010 |
| studio | Universal Pictures |
| director | John Erick Dowdle |
| writer | Brian Nelson |
| starring | Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Caroline Dhavernas |
| rating | PG13 |
| tagline | Bad things happen for a reason... |
| site | thenightchronicles.com/devil |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
1 Comments
Let me get this out of the way first and foremost: I hate, nay despise, M. Night Shyamalan. I’ve believed him to be a hack since waaaaaay back when I first fell asleep during his *ahem* magnum opus The Sixth Sense. I believed, and to some degree still do, that he was a one-trick pony. Every movie of his had to have some silly twist ending that felt contrived and quite tacked-on.
Now. Let me also say up front that I have an intense hatred for PG-13 horror. Until now, I’ve never believed they had a place in the world, like female rappers.
Imagine my intense surprise upon going to check out the midnight screening of this puppy, and not only enjoying it, but finding myself a little creeped out by it. It’s not an overtly scary movie, it feels much more akin to an episode of the Twilight Zone, albeit a longer one. It’s an interesting concept that ties together in the end with a neat little twist that I really hadn’t had time to think about. M. Night did the damned thing for once, and I think his best move was in letting someone else take over the reins on his work. He provided a simple template, and Dowdle and Company delivered on it in spades. I’m stoked to see the next installment in the Night Chronicles now, that’s for sure, but I still want my horror to return to its R-rated goodness…
At any rate, I found this to be a taut little suspenseful movie, one that didn’t have to rely upon buckets of blood to get its point across. My only real complaint is in the whole lights going out and then coming back up with someone dead in the elevator. For some reason, I kept thinking of WWE’s Elimination Chamber every time that happened.
Check it out for yourselves, I highly recommend it, and actually enjoyed it much more than Paranormal Activity or The Last Exorcism. And yes… I still hate M. Night Shyamalan. He sucks.
very very good film. great tension and cast. a must see
M night should definitely stick to producing awesome movie.
Let me first start off by saying that I am in no shape, way or form a fan of M. Night Shylaman. From the get go with sixth sense I called that twist ending in the film;s first ten minutes and what remained for me was highly over rated. He followed that up the unintentionally laughable Unbreakable, and than with signs which was overly generic but executed well. Than came the questionable attempt lady in the water, the mega let down but nicely executed village and finally the big kick in the face the happening. Without a doubt one of the worst films ever made. But he should not be a deciding factor when it comes to this film because he’s only come up with the story outline and he produced under his new production company. The main people responsible for this film are Brian Nelson who write the brilliant Hard Candy and John Erick Dowdle of The Poughkeepsie Tapes and Quarantine. So with that combo I had some expectations going in and the stylish and effective trailer and TV spots had spiked my interest to say the least. And here’s what I thought. It just blew me away. This tightly executed psychological horror thriller left me speechless. From the opening credits which feature a reverse Philadelphia and an astounding classic thriller score I was intrigued. And as the film introduced it’s story line and characters I became completely engaged. And as the film moved into it’s main agenda I was on the edge of my seat with ample anticipation. And the finale well I’ll just keep my mouth shut. But here’s what I have to say with solid performances, suspenseful pacing, a clever and original story line and really good direction Devil is without a doubt one of the most effective genre pieces to come out in some time. Like it’s characters you are held captive for it’s entire running time. It’s one of those classic suspense thrillers thats character based and just keeps working its angles and keeps you guessing until the very end. Sadly the movie is not without flaws but you should know to truly enjoy it you must succumb to the goofiness of its plot and some of the scenes that need to be inserted to move the film along. That being said what remains is a nifty, clever, sweaty palm inducing, intelligent exercise in fear and hysteria well worth the price of admission.
This is definately one of Shyamalan better films. Unlike The Village which had a big promotional intro before it’s release, this one makes the grade. It keeps you interested in the film enough to get through it without a yawn, if you dare to. It’s okay to yawn through The Village though it had a very disappointing ending and it just sucked. At this point, I don’t know if Shyamalan has the talent to continue but at least for now he made a winner.
Attention all of you idiots who think that Shyamalan ‘made’ this film, HE DID NOT WRITE or DIRECT THIS MOVIE so shut the fudge up about Shyamalan’s history.
The movie was good.
ATTENTION all of you idiots who think a producer does nothing but throw money out shut the hell up and quit pointing out the obvious. The movie was good.
Awesome, Hitchcock like, thriller! Well worth it!!
Devil definitely exceeded all expectations! What an awesome film! I avoided all the ‘extra’ internet trailers and went in only knowing what the tv/movie theater trailers showed, and for once they definitely hid key elements from being disclosed. The acting and directing was superb, the tension builds slowly at first, then continues to climb at a steady click all the way to end. Shyamalan proved he still has some great concepts for stories, and with other talented writers/directors those stories can shine.
After watching Devil, I may never get on an elevator again.
A claustrophobic thriller. Nothing in the way of spectacular, but I did like it’s closed in, panic feel. The direction stayed at a quick pace and never got boring. Very well directed.
Personally: I don’t think anyone is capable of staying calm in a situation where it involves you being stuck in an elevator, never mind with someone who might be the “devil.” The tension worked.
While beautifully photographed and intriguing this movie quickly loses steam in the last half. It’s very predictable and Disney-esque. The dialogue is pretty cheesy especially the hispanic security guard in his “explaining role” and the main cop character. Don’t expect to be scared and don’t expect to see an amazing story..this is mediocre as it comes
78 minutes of pure predictable rubbish. No scares, a hackneyed ‘people in a room’ horror with a predictable subplot.
It’s funny I placed a bet to my friend telling him, just by the trailer I could guess who the Devil was and I was right,
load of tosh, avoid.
The movie was pretty good! it was definetely a good length. It’s one of those movies that feels like a decent length movie, but it’s pretty short. The twist sure got me yelling “OH SHIT!” and a good few scares here and there. *SPOILERS* the mirror breaking scene made me scream, and it takes alot for me to scream. Overall a good movie with good acting. Definetely see it again but it’s one movie you can only watch a few times before it gets boring.
really goood!
an alll around good film.
just imagine how much they could’ve done if it was rated R!
Devil was a great and simple horror/thriller. It is original and does not over stay its welcome. Its short and to the point and it delivers on the thrills and chills. Shyamalan should stick to producing and let someone else take the director’s chair becuase it was a great job by everyone involved. The actors were great and the movie delivers suspense. Great way to start the Halloween season. Can’t wait to see the other films in the Night Chronicles.
Not bad. I was not interested in this at all until I saw all the positive user reviews. Agreed that this is a simple movie, but done very well. Not usually a fan of PG-13 horror but Devil was pretty good. Apparently this story was a “sequel” that Night had for Unbeakable in some way.
this was a great movie, it was refreshing to see a good horror movie that wasn’t a remake or that was dumb down. This was an intelligent movie with thought provoking themes and a great cast. Not perfect but it came very close.
Very good horror/thriller. Very different and I loved every minute of it.
Great fun, I really enjoyed it.
Good movie. Was expecting more scare but it had decent suspence. I wouldn’t call it great but it was captivating and had good acting.
The general plot was interesting but the rest went from somewhat predictable to downright silly. It really lost me when the hispanic guard told them his grandmas story about the devil…
I think that movie critics are being a little too harsh on this mystery/thriller because believe me it’s not that bad especially coming from M. Night Shyamalan whose only good movie was The Sixth Sense which was over a decade ago! I thought that it has a good and intriguing story that will have you guessing and on the edge of your seat and some decent twists that I didn’t see coming. It was slickly filmed and has a steady pace and some decent shocks so it definitely looked nice when it came to atmosphere and mood but it’s some of the acting and a lack of action that really holds it back from being truely great and terrifying. I do have to give it to M. Night Shyamalan for actually delivering a good and surprising final twist that wasn’t ridiculous and silly it’s his best since The Sixth Sense, continue on this new path M. Night! Overall don’t listen to the critics and give this mystery/thriller a chance, just don’t expect a full blown horror movie full of scares and action but take it as a mystery, who done it thriller that’s story and twists driven. Recommended! More of a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This was good. Good. But in this economy,I kinda need a bit more. In retrospect, I would wait for the DVD or HBO on this one. For the money I spent and the time I spent, I think it was better spent in my living room . Good script, but not meant for the big screen…
AMAZING! Night’s best work since The Sixth Sense! I really can’t say enough, I agree with BD this has got to be one of the best horror(well kinda thriller) movies of the year! THE ENDING BLEW ME AWAY! And I have to say I’m usually good with the shocking ending but it got me.From the time it came on til it ended it was a suspenseful powerhouse! I will say one thng, if you are not a believer dont see it.I don’t think it will have an impact on you, unless it scares the hell out of you into believing…literally! lol
This movie in general was a really great idea. A few things could definitely be tweaked. I’m kind of tired of M. Night trying to make the world right again, with his high and mighty morals. The end could have been a lot better. But in general, it was an awesome movie!
I thought this movie was terrible. The dialogue was ridiculous. The ending? Don’t even get me started. As a whole it was VERY predictable and downright stupid at times.
Once again, I get tricked into seeing a Shyamalan movie (BD’s review certainly helped me go for it). I had to hold in the laughter but now realize that I should have just let myself laugh out loud as I would have enjoyed the film more.
The dialogue is absolutely atrocious and the religious bullsh!t that Shyamalan tries to push down your throat is disgusting. This had potential and at certain moments I was rooting for the film to go in the right direction but it never got there. The ending was predictable and the biggest laugh comes at the last line. Or maybe it was the toast and jelly line. Either way, no chills, no thrills, and many laughs.
Listen up folks, don’t be fooled by this hack again.
I found “Devil” to be a very well made film, and certainly better than Shyamalan’s recent directing examples. As a story teller, he’s excellent, and if the further Night Chronicles are as well done as Devil, then I’m looking forward to them. The acting and dialogue was perfect, a natural flow with likable characters, and equally interesting but less likable one’s as well. Thank God the dialogue flows better in this than in a Shayamalan directed film…The Happening this ain’t! what I find amazing, is the idiots complaining about there being “religion” in a movie called “DEVIL”! What the fuck? It’s called “Devil”, how can there NOT be a religious subtext? It’s very well done though, using a non denominational approach, and is hardly preachy other than the belief that if there is a Devil, then there must be a God. Makes sense to me.
If you’re in the mood for a good supernatural mystery/thriller…you could do a lot worse than Devil. If you’re offended by any kind of religious tones in a movie, then do yourself a favor and avoid seeing a movie with a major religious icon in the title!
Solid thriller not really scary or gory. I guess the religious themes are necessary, considering the subject matter, but found it had to believe the whole devil setting up five individuals at once for retribution. Good PG horror/thriller movie but nothing exceptional.
I was recently privileged to see “Devil,” not directed, but written and co-produced by M. Night Shyamalan.
A total Wow! and a very pleasant surprise. From the opening credit shots of an inverted Philadelphia, to the increasingly bizarre happenings… a horrific suicide seen in total silence, a murder mystery in a claustrophobic setting (five people trapped in an elevator), a security guard who sees the devil on a surveillance film, this great little film will keep you tense and on edge while your mind is totally engaged. Although the framing mythos, typical Shyamalan, may be a little precious, there is internal logic, good acting, and a moving moral core revealed in the last half hour. If you like horror movies, put this on on your list. Happy to see it’s released by Universal… that’s pedigree.
Umm, I liked it.
Pretty legit movie, with a legit idea, good acting, and a fun time. I was worried, I though Shyamalan would screw it up with a horrible “twist”, though that wasn’t the case. Good movie, catch it if you want an entertaining hour and a half.
Pretty good movie. I really enjoyed it…
First of all this is NOT a Shyamalan film as many people are mistaking it out to be. Maybe it’s because his name is slapped all over the place for this but regardless. He help write anhttp://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/2449/headlinesd produce and that was about it. This film was quite enjoyable despite it being PG-13 horror I really did enjoy myself. At the beginning it starts a little slow and going in with low expectations I didn’t have much to say. Around halfway through however, I turned to my friend of mine and said “This really isn’t that bad, at all.” Which after seeing the finale of the movie is an understatement. This movie was pretty awesome. Not only did it hold my interest but it held it within the confines of an elevator. The ending had sort of a Drag Me To Hell kind of vibe to it, which for some reason seemed a little out of place but it worked, and the twist was pretty cool as well. I devil was an easy guess for me, but the end reveal was really well delivered. This film hasn’t broken any ground or made any advances for the horror genre but it sure was a fun film.
This is a nice break from all the predictable and disappointing horror films to come out this year.
A lot better then I expected. Great twist.
Quick note before we get started. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, please don’t. The trailer absolutely ruins what I think could’ve been the year’s best scare.
If you don’t want to go through the pains of reading the full review, the one-word description of this movie is “Cerebral”.
John Erick Dowdle’s “Devil” is a nice change of pace from a genre-landscape riddled with remakes, prequels, sequels, and unoriginal imaginings. I think the real genius of the story comes out of its simple plot; put five people in an elevator, one detective and two security guards watching, and then try to figure out which one of the trapped is the ultimate evil. There are not a whole lot of twists and turns to lose people, and there’s not a whole lot of overly complicated storylines unlike some genre franchises.
There are several great things about this movie. The first is that Shyamalan took a step back. I really think his strength is in writing and after watching this, I feel like I’m correct. The second is the tone. The scenes in the elevator just get more and more claustrophobic. Because the tone is so intense in the elevator, you forget that only a handful of people have passed on. I think the coolest part of this tone is that as the body count rises, genre fans generally feel less tension as that we’re getting down to the people that have to survive (for a while, at least). This is not the case in Devil. In fact, I felt tenser every time we took a deep breath and dove back into that elevator. Another is how unique this movie felt in that it never really went overboard, fell into the common cliche-traps, or got outright silly. Devil advances the tension far enough to make the viewer uncomfortable and then lets us squirm in our chairs. It never really blows its load and delivers before the viewer is satisfied. I contribute part of that to the short length. Sitting at around 85 minutes, Devil doesn’t need to draw out long torture-kill-sex scenes. The movie does its job and doesn’t give the viewer some of the pointless frills that often leave me exasperated.
That being said, there were a couple scenes later in the movie where I really wanted to see the director (or more probably the writer) really go for gold and give us a blood bath or a cheap scare. But instead the film stays true to the theme it attempts to prove. In the long run, this was probably the best path for it to take.
So if you like high action, gorefests that keep the audience jumping, this isn’t for you. If you like something that’s “cerebral” and will get you thinking and remembering it later on, check this out. I think it will be right up your alley.
Loved it! The twist was great but predictable. Nothing like the sixth sense, but deffenitly worth seeing.
i liked devil,it’s an average m. night shyamalon movie,not scary to pee your self.it was a good movie.
I found this movie to be really enjoyable. Not particularly scary, though there are some jumpy bits here and there. They kept most of the gore, not that there was a lot to begin with, off-screen, which I liked. It wasn’t the main point, so they didn’t spend too much time focusing on it.
I liked that it kept me guessing. Usually I don’t like to guess ahead in horror movies, I’m an easy to please kind of viewer and like things to just happen, but this allowed me to speculate and feel triumphant when I was right but pleased when I was wrong. So, it was a mix of predictable and surprising.
The religious aspect was kept classy and un-preachy. I didn’t sit there going ‘sure, but that’s not how it works’, I just accepted what was happening, because it wasn’t forceful or annoying.
I do wish it had more jumpy scares but it was enjoyable and suspenseful. Glad to see Shyamalan doing something right for the first time in awhile =P (Perhaps his involvement should be kept minimal like this, in the future? Heh.)
Outstanding! simply Outstanding! What a little Gem.
I will certainly be buying the DvD. This one just keeps you guessing, Full of little sub-plots, and for once the ending leaves no loose ends. It works on so many levels, If you’ve yet to see this, then I Urge you to do so. Definately one to take a date to see you can’t fail with this movie.
I suppose for a thriller where the main drama unfolds inside the confines of a trapped elevator that the first part of a trilogy involving supernatural events occurring in the modern world… This is as good as anyone could reasonably ask for.
It’s entertaining, it’s short, and… that’s about it.
One of the main problems with this film keeping it from elevating (see how funny I am?) beyond a quick genre flick is how unlikable all of the characters are from the onset. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a film, and I realize that this becomes a plot element later on, but if within twelve minutes I’m thinking “Holy shit, I hope they all have simultaneous aneurysms this fucking second!”, maybe a redeeming quality or two might engage the audience a bit.
Another element plaguing the film is the DEVIL talk itself. The way its handled comes off as carelessly planted into the story just to keep the theme consistent with M. Night’s demands.
“Ah crap, I gotta send this draft of the script in within the next 45 minutes and I forgot its part of that supernatural trilogy crap. How about I just have a Hispanic security guard pray in spanish over the intercom? Surely the actors will be competent enough to skillfully conceal how absurd this is. Wait, is this too much? No, its perfect for the guy who made THE HAPPENING with the full intention of releasing it to the public.”
I may sound inconsistent here, with the average score and all, but the horror genre lives to dig itself into a hole. Its fans and its films live in this surreal realm where the last thing they want to be is taken seriously in a sophisticated fashion. With all these high scores from both the fans and this site, there’s no hope to grow out of this. Its an average picture, nothing more. It has the same twists we’ve all seen in countless forms, with the same mediocre acting that would barely survive in any other genre outside of a lifetime movie. Ask for more fellow horror fans, don’t allow the generic like this to be quality ceiling. Grow up a bit.
I knew from the start it would suck thats why I didn’t paid to see it. It was decent, kept me entertained, but a lot wasn’t answered. Like for EX the person who jumped out of the window, who was it. Why did they jump. Like is the building where you go when you’ve done bad things. The movie started off good, the twist is so so, nothing to write home about, and you kind of knew who would be the devil too. Nothing really knew is brought to the table same old mumbo jumbo religous bullshit. If anything it was directed really good best thing this lousy movie has going for it. M.Night quit while your ahead.
A very entertaining movie. It could have used a bit of editing on some of the lines and it was a bit short, but overall I really enjoyed it.
i didnt know what to think of this movie when i first heard of it.. but wow!!! this movie was great. i mean it had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. the ending was totally epic dont want to ruin it for you guys but damn did i not see that coming great movie 9/10
First off, I love the artwork on the cover. Another movie in which your really just waiting for the ending twist. “Devil” really never delivers its full potential but stays somewhat entertaining. The majority of the film takes place in this small elevator (which doesn’t leave much room for creativity). Did the devil show compassion at the end??? Oh well, worth the watch but not recommended for the claustrophobic.
I love how it wasn’t in this movies intentions to be funny or have comedic value of any kind, But i found it fucking hilarious!, Expecially the conclusion as to who/what it was, Great Film! to say there’s not many locations it’s set in (duh), It did pretty well taking into consideration it was mostly filmed in a lift, The matress-seller guy who’s name i forgot (if he even had a name), Made this way more entertaining with some of the stuff he said. Overall Pretty great film
Wonderful another great film to end this great year!
“Devil’s” an impressive low-budget horror outing, a scary little morality play that delivers tension without going overboard with blood and guts. M. Night Shyamalan drafted the story as part one of an urban horror trilogy, and Brian Nelson did a fine job expanding it into a full-length screenplay (albeit a short one – Devil clocks in at a scant 80 minutes). No stars, but the cast does a mighty swell job and they’re familiar enough to elicit shouts of “Hey! I know that guy!” every so often. Director John Erick Dowdle’s work last showed up in the cineplex with “Quarantine,” a good movie, but not a really essential one, considering that it was essentially a shot-by-shot remake of “Rec.” “Devil’s” a better film, one that’s well worth a look.
“Devil” centers around five people sharing an elevator that gets stuck between floors in a Philadelphia office building. It’s bad enough when you’re sharing an elevator with a jerk, perish the thought that you end up trapped with Mr. Personality for a couple of hours. Multiply that nightmare by five, because every member of the quintet in the ill-fated car is a piece of work. Obnoxious, disagreeable and each one personality-challenged enough to merit a good smack aside the head. But enough about their good qualities. Every one of them has a mausoleum’s worth of skeletons in their closet and you soon get the feeling that they’re sharing that car for a reason…
Not everyone in “Devil” is a total louse. Detective Bowden (Chris Messina) is pretty darned agreeable. He’s had a bad spell of late – he’s counting the minutes until his third full month of sobriety and there was some heavy stuff that set him to drinking in the first place – but he seems to be coming along nicely. Sure, he’s got to deal with a suicide first thing in the morning, but, hey, it comes with the territory. Then there’s Lustig, (Matt Craven) the building’s security chief dealing with the worst day of his career. Decent enough guy who definitely deserves to be somewhere else entirely.
The passengers are miffed at the technical difficulties they’re forced to suffer through, but it doesn’t seem all that bad. It starts to seem worse after the power flickers on and off. It doesn’t just seem worse after Young Woman (Bojana Novakovic) gets a nasty slice down her back after the lights go out. One passenger thinks a serrated blade could’ve made the cut. Paranoia time.
(Seriously, they credited her as Young Woman even though she gets at least 40 mintues of screen time. No justice.)
It’s not long before the situation’s deteriorated enough for Bowden to get called to the scene, which gives Lustig’s sidekick Ramirez (Jacob Vargas) a chance to expound upon his hypothesis that the Devil himself has caused this and that it’s all going to end in torment and death, all while seemingly on the brink of a psychotic break. Not really something that endears him to the atheistic Bowden, but what’re you gonna do?
Meanwhile, things are getting progressively worse in the confines of the elevator car. Mirrors shatter for no reason. People get bumped off when the lights flicker out. The survivors are wondering which one’s the killer and thinking that maybe it’d be best to kill their companions. Just to be safe.
For a fairly low-budget movie (the production budget only ran about 10 mil) “Devil” is a good looking picture. Dowdle keeps the elevator scenes visually interesting, making the most out of what would seem to be a limiting set. The passengers are an unsavory lot, but the cast makes them compelling enough to side with, at least a little. It’s good to see Messina and Craven get some serious screen time, too – they’re both excellent character actors and I hope “Devil” opens up some bigger opportunities for them. The last 10 minutes of the movie are nicely done, too – I had a good-sized lump in my throat by the time the end credits rolled. Always a bonus when you’ve got a compelling story to go along with the carnage.
“Devil’s” a polished, atmospheric thriller that delivers the tension and dread it promises. I was hoping that Dowdle would venture out into something more original after “Quarantine” and I was more than happy with what he delivered in “Devil”. Definitely looking forward to parts two and three of “The Night Chronicles” after this one. If you want a good, creepy movie and don’t need or want a lot of gore to go along with it, “Devil” is just the movie you’re looking for.
I like the devil theory that this movie gives. However, this movie could have been more in depth and had more to it then just the 5 people stuck in an elevator and the who done it theme. Takes me back to the 70′s or was it 80′s movie called “Shaft” about the people that gets stuck in an elevator as well.
I rented this from movies on demand on my cable and I liked it alot it’s really freaky especially when everything come together, I really didn’t think it would be this good and I would watch it again in the future, p.s. Doug’s momma from The King Of Queens is trippy!!
Despite some fantastic ideas, photography and music, DEVIL can’t quite escape the unholy touch of M. Night Shylamalan. From the beginning we are treated to the very best and very worst of what this movie has to offer. Over a blackened screen we hear an inane voice over that proceeds to tell us exactly what this movie is about, god forbid anything be a surprise. This is then followed by some of the best inverted city skyline aerials I’ve ever seen and a suitably demonic sounding score. The film continues throughout with this flip-flopping between subtle ingenuity and sledgehammer like exposition. This is where I point the finger squarely at M. Knight. He’s last few cinematic abortions have also been crashed under the weight of a director bowing to Hollywood convention, explaining everything away so that the retard in the back corner of the cinema, with his fingers knuckle deep in his girlfriend, completely understands what is happening on screen at all times. Had this film been braver and not stipulated from the very beginning the supernatural undercurrent of the story, DEVIL could have been a modern gem. Sadly, we are given a character (the security guard) whose sole purpose in the film is to make sure we all know that one of the people stuck in the elevator is actually the devil, friggin’ Satan himself. There are some many reasons why this is wrong beyond “How the fuck does he know?” Ok, so said character is given some flack for being a religious nut but the final insult comes when the cop (there to investigate a murder) suddenly, and for no reason, takes onboard the security guard’s screwy theory. OMG! Or should that be OMD! It was such a missed opportunity to have not kept the audience in the dark as to the idea that one of the lift occupants could be the devil rather than the reveal relying on who the devil is. Ever heard of the double whammy M. Knight? Oh, wait, you have. It’s not the past it’s the present + the town retard is the monster = The Village. Even with this massive and unfortunate handicap (known as Shylamalania) DEVIL has some great stuff in it and even after the reveal of who the devil is, the story continues to surprise with further character revelations. For the most part all the acting is sufficient and purposeful (except that tedious security guard), the photography is clean and classilly handled and the music is supportive without being intrusive. It would have been interesting to see if director John Erick Dowdle would have made a better film had it not been under the tutelage of the real devil.
This film with its perfectly placed camera angles and just the right amount of atmosphere made it almost likable. This story felt like a “Twilight Zone” vignette, which had me thinking that the ending/climax was going to be worth sitting through its 88 minutes of characters, that I really could not care less about, except for the lead actor. This was the detective (Chris Messina), who had the task of trying to figure out the mystery of an elevator that broke down in a skyscraper in Philadelphia on a spooky rainy day. Little did he know that one of the persons trapped on the elevator would hold the key to a tragedy he once endured in his life. I think this film would have done better if more character development would have taken place. The film just did not hold my interest, which was too bad because it had so much potential. I thought being M. Night Shyamaylan the producer it would be pretty good, but nope, it was not.
The only thing this movie offered is the screen going dark and someone dieing. They did that about 500 times, pretty lame. The subject matter was interesting but the film was just not good to me. It got old really quick. Skip this one if you know whats good for you.
pretty entertaining! it keeps you second guessing until the end (although I picked out the devil within the first 10 minutes) but i still liked the twist at the end.
Entertaining enough film, suffering from an abundance of contrivances, two-dimensional characters and slightly corny dialogue. The film mainly fails because the resolution is unrewarding and lacks punch. Not on a par with Unbreakable and 6th Sense unfortunately but better than his other more recent efforts. Fun but dumb
I really enjoyed this movie. I read that it was somewhat predicable but I strongly disagree. I had no idea who the ‘Devil’ was and the ending held a nice little twist too. I highly suggest this and wouldn’t mind checking it out again.
A solid piece of horror. Some classic spooky moments and a nasty surprise made for enjoyable film. The acting was mostly good and the script generally solid. Good to see a decent horror film get into the mainstream.
I really liked this movie. Yeah, I thought it was predictable, and yes, they basically told you what was going to happen, but maybe it was intended to be that way. Oh, and those who wrote that they knew who the Devil was before the movie got going, I have some bad news for your celebration. Any horror fan who has seen the gazillion movies with this type of scenario can pretty much pick who it will be. Using the process of elimination it was pretty obvious who it was, but I won’t spoil your victory, savor it! Anyway, its pretty predictable, but still a good movie, so enjoy.
In short – definitely worth watching (well we do love our horror movies don’t we?) – but still lacking any substance that will really have you wanting to watch it again anytime soon.
When I first heard that M Night Shymalongadingdong wrote the movie I had my hesitations. The man has transformed into a talentless hack. Fortunately he didn’t direct this little dinger so it was half watchable. Not great, not bad, but better than the Happening.
A solidly entertaining little horror flick which quite came up to my expectations. It’s extremely tense and thrilling, but also pretty scary (loads of heartstopping moments and scenes that made me jump outta my seat) – and most important: it’s only about 80 minutes long and it never gets boring.
The acting is for the most part neat and convincing. Shyamalan’s story is interesting and “Hard Candy” writer Brian Nelson’s script is superbly written and paced, including a few really nice dialogue lines.
Highlights: the incredibly rousing soundtrack and the absolutely wonderful cinematography (especially the disorientating opening shots).
Flaws: the annoying Mexican character and the unnecessary very last scenes after the twist ending (the twist itself is ok but felt a bit underwhelming).
Overall, an enjoyable film, highly recommended to people who love suspense cinema, director Shyamalan …and of course “The Lift”
I understand the hate have for M. Night and I for one didn’t want to see this film originally because of films such as “The Happening” but luckily this time I was pleasantly surprised and this film was a lot better than the happening. Some questions weren’t exactly addressed but it didn’t bother me, it was entertaining and the cinematography was great, especially the opening aerial shots. Not bad for an M. Night story.
M. Night Shyamalan what in blazes hell happened to you! The Sixth Sense an epic suspensful twist of a movie. Signs absolutely terrifying and incredibly thought out. The Village a little bit of a disappointment but still had the essence of a Shyamalan movie. Then The Happening came out which was pretty ridiculous and had no signature twist at the end. Devil started quite promising and very quickly became a large failure. Not only did the movie drag, but every clue and hidden message was unwantingly revealed by the wise hispanic religious security officer, a totally unessecary spoiler in my mind. The “twist” at the end has no substance or logic. Let me save you a good 2 hrs…The Devil is the old lady. Huge shocker there, right, considering she looked like a crazy ass old fart already. Sorry Shyamalan, you’ve lost it.
Enjoyable for the sinister whodunit thrills–no horror or gore here to spoil the PG-13ness. A semi-isolationist story that is entertaining from beginning to a non-suprising but satisfying end. The reveal and the finale tie things together nicely without being overexcessive or ridiculous as well–big plus. M. Night should let others direct his ideas more often–noone wants to see another The Crappening–ughh.
This one was okay, certainly not anything great. It was entertaining and kept a good guessing game going the whole time. The last 20 minutes are particularly creepy.
Just want to cherp in…. I reallly enjoyed this- Its very obviously M. Night Shamalangadingdong with the structure, pace and dialogue, but its him at his best- closure to Signs in that it doesnt rely on a twist, but the story comes together at the end.
Very Hitchcock (i know thats been said before but it is)
Like most others I dont rave about the Sixth Sense- tad predictable really and slow! (seriously you didnt see the ending coming- it practicly tells you twice in the film, also it was released at the same time as Fight Club) I loved unbreakable and signs- 2 films that get better on frequent viewings, but the rest of his movies blew…. with him not directing the Night cronicals maybe he has spotted the error George Lucas forgot recently- the ideas man isnt necessarily the best director.
Cant wait for the next one especially if directed by Last Exorcism Daniel st?? (i forgot).
But- watch and enjoy devil now (oh it gave my lady friend nightmares)
MUCH better than I thought it would be… Highly predictable, but still entertaining. Very nice redemptive message embedded throughout, culminating in a satisfying, if improbable, final sequence.
An inventive, engaging story that keeps you guessing to the very end. Sets the bar for the rest of the Night Chronicles. I’m interested to see if #2 will measure up.
Devil was sometimes really suspenseful. The fact that you are completely unaware of what happens when the lights went out was really scary. It kinda sucks that it was PG-13 because it lacked in gore which is fine sometimes, but for this movie, there were some scenarios that really needed some crazy blood. Also the acting wasn’t top notch and the script was lacking a little. But All In All, Devil is really suspenseful and had a pretty good twist.
Very good, but it could’ve been better. The film was creepy, intense and at times, silly, but it was very good. I recommend it.
Devil is like a big budget episode of The Twilight Zone and is executed well. That’s if you like it when characters feel the need to spell out everything for you. The religious security guard should have been named Mr Exposition. When film makers do this it drives me crazy. This is a hokey M Knight produced movie, not Lars Von Trier. The PG-13 rating limits the blood and gore but there are enough suspenseful moments scattered throughout to keep the audience interested, if you don’t mind being treated like an idiot. Not bad but certainly nothing great.
Worth a watch. More of a who-dunnit than a horror flick.
Yet another variation on “Ten Little Indians” with a slight twist. Remember “Ten Little Indians” from your seventh-grade literature class? A lazy movie. It’s nice and shiny and glossy for you. That’s about it.
A devil movie better be real fucking scary to ever out-do the standard set, damn near 40 years ago, with “The Exorcist”. I remember nightly news stories about religious protests and audience members passing out in the aisles. That was a different time and place. We were coming out of all that hippie shit, Vietnam, and then Charles Manson. Manson scared the shit out of people. The public was primed and ready for “The Exorcist”. It WAS pretty shocking. A little girl sticking a crucifix in her who-ha and growling “EAT ME”. That’s some pretty challenging shit for most folks, even today.
“Devil” is lame. It’s not nearly as bad though as “The Last Exorcism”. Now THAT movie is a piece of shit.
I liked this movie, really surprised me, well done, with good moments of suspense and good recreation of a claustrophobic environment, plus a very good ending. Although somewhat similar to Blackout with Amber Tamblyn.
I’m torn about this movie. The killer is exactly who you think it is, the ending is predictable, and the characters, except for one or two, annoyed the hell out of me. Still, managing to make a plot move forward in an elevator is kind of impressive, and I hadn’t expected the aspect outside the elevator. Not bad, though I still think Shayamalan needs a good smack to the face.
This is similar to case 39 in that its not an unwatchable film, but its to short a flare. The story is semi interesting but cheesy. The ending scene is a little freaky, but not enough to make this a great horror piece. Insidious still holds the throne for these demon/possession films.
i found the story to be interesting and engauging. the effects were great and the ending was suprising, this in imy opinion is one of the best modern horror films
Comedy for Atheists!Intense in parts and stupid in others.Lame and Predictable ending.But still watchable.Good gore effects,cheesy acting,and a steady pace.Watch for yourself and see if you dig it.Once is good enough though.
It’s OKAY! It kept me watching but I wasn’t really scared, not even at the end. And the actual last scene really disappointed me, I expected much more. Worth a viewing though.
Very slow not really a horror worth a watch if you’re bored.
Written By Brian Nelson (Screenplay) and M. Night Shyamalan (Story)
Directed By John Erick Dowdle
Starring : Chris Messina, Caroline Dhavernas, and Bokeem Woodbine
Billed as being “from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan”, DEVIL is more director John Erick Dowdles film than that of his uber-famous producer. Dowdle cut his teeth on the criminally underrated (and still unreleased) Poughkeepsie Tapes before perfecting the art of the claustrophobic thriller in 2008s QUARANTINE. Here Dowdle scales the scope of his film down from an entire disease infected building to one, single elevator, which happens to be inhabited by the Devil.
The films basic premise revolves around the belief that at any given moment the Devil can return just to fuck with humanity. This time he’s chosen five deeply flawed people on an ill fated elevator ride. In 10 LITTLE INDIANS style, the Devil begins to methodically kill off each character every time the lights go out, while effectively hiding his identity. Each killing ratchets up the tension among those left living in the elevator and confusing the hell out of the Philadelphia SWAT team monitoring the bloodbath.
Brian Nelsons screenplay, based on Shyamalans idea is tight to say the least. The film wastes almost no time getting the main characters stuck in the elevator. In contrast the the equally superb FROZEN,where knowing the characters in imperative to liking them and therefore rooting for them, not knowing the characters adds to the tension, they are a blank canvas until the elevator gets stuck. This effectively establishes each one of the characters as a red herring at different points during the film. There are no obvious clues as to who the Devil is, no coy hints, or glaring plot points. Each character has a fundamental flaw that could be interpreted as a clue, but none of them is a dead give away. The questions mount as quickly as the body count does.
Unfortunately, the strength of the film, it’s script, is also it’s biggest failing. Whether pressed to add a “Shyamalan-esqe” ending to the film by its producer or just plum out of ideas, Nelsons “twist” feels a tad forced and pedestrian. After the Devil reveals himself the film takes a hard left, like a Twilight Zone episode on steroids, everything seems a bit too coincidental. Or maybe the Devil just wanted it that way.
http://riotonsunset.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-day-presents-devil-2010.html
This is one of the best Horror movies of 2010 since Frozen and The Crazies. This movie was pretty simple it mainly has a simple plot and it is easy to explain and it isn’t confusing for the most part. This is also M. Night Shyamalan’s best work since The Sixth Sense although he’s not the director of this movie he’s the producer of this movie and the film is directed by Quarantine director John Erick Dowdle. Finally M. Night Shyamalan is back again to frighten audiences with a new film that has lots of scares and twists that will keep you up for days and this movie has lots of twists that will keep you guessing until the end. The movie mainly is about five people trapped in an elevator and one of them is the devil. While the plot was really interesting. This movie is also good not only because the movie has lots of twists and turns but the movie is also good because this film is full of energetic suspense. Gasping scares and jumps. Nonstop suspense and it also has a really intense Claustrophobic feel like The Descent. But like The Descent Devil doesn’t focus on atmosphere and the claustrophobia is really different unlike in The Descent 1 and 2 which focus on atmosphere and claustrophobia Devil focus more on a really quiet and intense claustrophobia with more than 100% scares than you could ever imagine. This film has everything I literally jumped a couple of times and the movie was nerve racking and it was really suspenceful. Although while the movie has all of those like the scares and claustrophobia the movie though is lacking of gory moments and even some graphic sequences but the movie has more disturbing moments instead of gory and graphic scenes. I would say that the most disturbing part of the movie was after the lights were out and it came back again the black guy has his head snapped and that was really disturbing even the first victim’s death when the four discovered that the guy’s impaled with a mirror shard to his throat that was a really disturbing sequence. Although I’ll never forget the best scene when the girl imagines everyone in the elevator dead that was really scary so far. The other scary scenes in the film is when the lights went out and when the black guy activates the flare for a while before it was out he doesn’t know that someone was at his back that was pretty freaky also oh and let’s not forget the scene when the dead old lady comes to life that was a pretty scary scene also. While the scares and disturbing moments fit well for the film. The acting from the casts did a good job with their performances in the film non of them were annoying so far. Director John Erick Dowdle and Producer M. Night Shyamalan did a good job making a really good Horror film. John Erick Dowdle is one of the best Horror movie directors this year since Wes Craven and Clive Barker. The reason why I chose John Erick Dowdle as one of the best Horror directors it’s because he did a good job with frightening audiences after the success of Quarantine(REC remake). And I would also say welcome back M. Night Shyamalan. The reason why I said that it’s because M. Night Shyamalan failed with the other movies he directed like The Last Airbender which failed miserably even The Happening in which he really went down the hill but now he’s back to the top again and I was really proud that he did a good job with this movie. Overall Devil is a great horror film with lots of scares and it also has an intense claustrophobic feel like The Descent only that it is two times better than the Descent.
Please don’t let the awkward sell line “From the mind of M.Night Shymalananana” put you off! In fact it turns out he didn’t direct it and didn’t even write the screenplay for the damn film so everything is well. “Devil” actually has turned out to be one of the best modern horror films I’ve seen this year! Thanks to its simple storyline and claustraphobic atmosphere, “Devil” is actually a thrilling, gripping and different “whos-dunnit” and the outcome will probably leave you quite shocked (even though I guessed who the devil was).
“Devil” is brilliantly directed with it’s fantastic use of sound, when the lights go off you really do feel the fear and the director really does squeeze every ounce of suspense out of it, and even though the script does seem to have some dregs of M. Night Shylmamanaama’s poorly written dialogue. On the whole it is pretty well-written.
Overall, “Devil” is a brilliantly paced horror film that’s based in one room, which is no where near as dull as it sounds. It’s original and entertaining and I really, really enjoyed it! In fact, my only complaint would be that I’d wished it would’ve been longer! That can’t be a bad thing can it?
decent movie. can be watched once certainly.
I think the Movie had an excellent story, great directions and was a chilling/ haunting thriller with a genius side to religion on the devil & what any human dose in their life on bad thing and most be punished. The acting was brilliant and really like the special effects and death scene’s, am not going to say who the devil is out of the five, but me and my sister already knew that it was going to be and we were right. Everyone given this film mixed response I think it was a brilliant movie enjoyed watching it & got the jumps & scared a couple of times, it really is a genius movie and is close of being the best thriller of 2010, but it has flaws (for one I would of changed the ending of this film, made better & what it should of deserved), but really picked up on the suspense of what was going on and had all sorts of mystery.
I loved this film and its overall message and story, well directed well written and very well acted. loved it
Devil. Smevil. The ending rips off of “Ten Little Indians”, the acting is absurdly below average, and the spiritual propaganda is just embarrassing. It’ll keep you attention going but it’ll continuously drop your IQ Points.
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The Ultimate Movie Review! – http://tss5078.blogspot.com – @tss5078 – From the master of the modern day dark thriller, M. Night Shyamalan, comes Devil. Going into a Shyamalan movie, you know you’re going to see a tragedy, a hero, and an amazing twist at the end. Coming off two absolute bombs, Shyamalan needed a good film to get back on track, and Devil is it! This is one of those movies that’s hard to describe without giving stuff away, so let me just say, it’s Shyamalan at his best! It’s a great story, a young unknown cast, and the ending will just blow your mind. Unlike most Horror/Thriller writers, Shyamalan doesn’t use gore to shock you, but rather has a story that will just scare you to your core, and by the end of this one I was rattled! This is a top notch film that fell way under the radar, because of its unknown cast, but if you like scary movies or edge of your seat thrillers, you have to see this film!