Devil is an engrossing mesh of Catholic philosophy and supernatural thrills.
That it feels like the greatest Twilight Zone episode that never was, is due to it being the first in the Night Chronicles trilogy, a series of film conceived and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, yet directed by varied burgeoning filmmakers.
While Devil is a Shyamalan movie through and through (the best in a while), it benefits from the direction of John Erick Dowdle, whose deft visual eye lends itself considerably to a horror movie where 5 strangers find themselves stranded in the constrictive sphere of an elevator, with one of them the Devil himself.
Opening the film with a stunning shot of a city turned upside down is symbolic of the spiritual compass found within this world, flipped on its head due to the presence of ol’Nick who has some time to kill.
Thematically, Devil is shown through two different points of view. The first is from a police detective (Chris Messina), whose non-belief in God comes from a tragic event in his past. The second is from a security guard (Jacob Vargas) whose devout Catholicism magnifies the horror played out on a CCTV screen, linked to the elevator which hangs in limbo with no way of getting to its occupants.
It is inside that cube of doom where Dowdle shines, creating a palpable claustrophobic air, thick with tension and buoyed with an overly dramatic score, just to prove that this Devil means business.
As the bodies begin to pile and paranoia hit fever pitch, Devil almost collapses under the weight of its seriousness. Yet a series of well placed plot twists and character reveals will keep viewers on their toes.
After all, it is through the actions of these characters that Devil delivers its preach, that for every action there is a consequence, every choice a responsibility, and every sin a chance of redemption.
Coupled that with its supernatural elements, and Devil is perhaps the most steadfast pro-Catholic film to hit the multiplexes in some time, and in an environment where religious morals are non-existent, it is a welcome change. |