The found-footage horror movie “Late Night with the Devil” has been a remarkable success story, from its acclaimed film festival run to its hit theatrical release to its recent debut on Shudder, where it became the horror-focused streaming service’s most popular movie ever. Filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes immerse the audience in an expertly crafted recreation of a second-tier 1970s late night talk show.
"Late Night with the Devil" is streaming on Shudder
Host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) attempts to boost his ratings with a Halloween night stunt featuring a supposedly possessed young girl and a parapsychologist. As events spiral out of control, the filmmakers mix the vintage TV aesthetic with a contemporary horror approach, building the existential terror for Jack and his guests. If you’re looking for other movies with similar themes and style, here are five movies to check out after watching “Late Night with the Devil.”
'Ghostwatch'
One of the biggest influences on “Late Night with the Devil” is this BBC TV movie, which is such an impeccable recreation of an actual news broadcast that many viewers thought it was the real thing when it aired in 1992. Like Orson Welles’ classic radio show “The War of the Worlds,” it’s presented as a straightforward news report, in this case, an investigation into a supposed haunting at a family’s London home.
The main stars are all actual BBC news presenters, adding an extra level of realism to a movie that lulls the audience into a false sense of security with its believably stodgy set-up, before unleashing terror in its final act. The viewing audience is even made complicit in the horrors, in a twist that enhances the sense of watching a genuinely cursed broadcast.
Watch on Shudder
'Deadstream'
Like Jack Delroy, Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter) is an arrogant, somewhat obnoxious media personality who dismisses the possibility that he could be in any danger from supernatural forces. In this found-footage horror comedy written and directed by Joseph Winter and his wife Vanessa, online content creator Shawn decides to spend a night in a supposedly haunted house while live-streaming his experience.
Shawn is known for his outrageous antics, but after certain controversial actions turned many of his followers against him, he’s hoping that the haunted house stunt will allow him to redeem himself. Things don’t work out the way he planned, of course, and the Winters find clever ways to present Shawn’s supernatural encounters within the format of a streaming broadcast. “Deadstream” is genuinely funny and genuinely scary, with scrappy low-budget ingenuity and some fantastic makeup effects.
Watch on Shudder
'Unfriended'
An evil spirit invades a different kind of broadcast in this ingenious “Screenlife” movie from director Levan Gabriadze. Set up entirely as online interactions viewed on one character’s computer screen, “Unfriended” is a sophisticated depiction of the way that teenagers interact online — or at least the way they did in 2014.
It’s a perfect snapshot of a moment in time that feels genuine rather than dated, and that verisimilitude adds to the sense of dread as a group of high schoolers discover a spectral presence in their video chat. Gabriadze never breaks the computer screen format, even as people start getting killed off. “Unfriended” delivers effective character development via various online platforms, often in fleeting background details. Like “Late Night with the Devil,” this movie succeeds by committing to its very specific setting.
'Paranormal Activity'
One of the most influential found-footage horror movies is also a surprisingly effective domestic drama, about the fraying of a couple’s relationship after they move into a new home. With his insistence on filming their private moments with his new camera, regardless of his girlfriend’s objections, Micah (Micah Sloat) already seems a bit inconsiderate, and his relationship with Katie (Katie Featherston) gets even more toxic as he dismisses or minimizes her concerns about the possible demonic infestation in their house.
Director Oren Peli makes sure the audience is invested in Micah and Katie before putting them through hell, and those terrifying moments haven’t been diluted by the multiple copycats and sequels. “Paranormal Activity” still feels real, like someone’s home movies inadvertently discovered at a garage sale, with a horrific surprise in store.
Watch on Max
'Nightcrawler'
Videographer Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) never encounters a sinister presence from beyond, but he’s even sleazier than Jack Delroy in his pursuit of a juicy story that will bring him attention and money. Writer-director Dan Gilroy’s film is a thrillingly dark journey through the underbelly of Los Angeles, as Lou moves from a minor illicit enterprise to a racket that’s only slightly more legal, chasing gruesome crime scenes so he can capture footage to sell to the local news.
Lou’s increasingly unscrupulous tactics mirror the desperation of TV journalists like Nina Romina (Rene Russo) to improve their ratings with sensationalistic stories, regardless of their newsworthiness or even their level of truth. It’s a bracing, cynical look at the nasty side of the TV news business, with one of Gyllenhaal’s best performances.
Watch on Starz
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