Devil (2010)
The first installment of "The Night Chronicles", a film series in which different directors bring to life stories conceived by M. Night Shyamalan, "Devil" is a supernatural horror thriller that revolves around a group of five strangers, who are trapped in a elevator of an office building. What it seems to be an accident turns out to be happening for a reason as they are threatened by the devil in disguise. Becoming suspicious to each other, they try to come out of the elevator. It is an intriguing, refreshing and original take upon the premise that the devil might be 'walking among people' , and the strength of the story is in its simplicity. The director is John Erick Dowdle, best know for his decent shot-by-shot "[REC]" remake, "Quarantine", does an incredible and very impressive job of creating a truly claustrophobic and genuinely creepy atmosphere within the confined space of the elevator, as he manages to deliver great variety of creative camera angles despite the limited space of the elevator, and he also provides a clear understanding of what is happening in there. M. Night Shyamalan's script is solid, and the dialogue is credible enough. Tak Fujimoto's excellent cinematography allows you to feel the claustrophobia and paranoia the five trapped strangers are feeling. The great soundtrack by Fernando Velázquez also ratchets up the tension. The actors are mostly unknown, especially the ones playing the five strangers. But they all play their parts well, with the exception of Logan Marshall-Green, who gives a bit over-the-top nerve-wracking performance. The twist in the end is somewhat satisfying, though it's pretty predictable. If you are perspicacious enough, it becomes close to mind that the devil inhabits the body of the most innocent out of all the five people, trapped in the elevator. All in all, while it's consistently entertaining and keeps you guessing what will happen next, "Devil" never truly gets under our skin, because big part of the movie takes place outside the elevator, and the secondary story often draws audience attention. Does "Devil" have the 'scare factor'? Not really. But it's suspenseful, well-shot and creepy as hell.
2 comments:
I like the fact that you and a few others have said its genuinley creepy, thats enough reason for me to watch this. A lot of people, like you, have also told me its predictable, which is a bit dissapointing, I hate being able to guess it lol
Dempsey, it's not exactly obviously predictable, but only slightly :) Actually, you have to be very observed to figure out who's devil ;) Give it a shot. It's definitely worth seeing. ;)
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