Devil

Starring: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven, Joshua Pence
Directed by: John Erick Dowdle
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Five strangers are trapped on an elevator in an office building. Unfortunately for them, one of them is the Devil.

Review:

Tim: After M. Night Shyamalan's last few films, I've turned on him like so many. Whereas his name attached to a film used to make it a must-see, now it means that you should probably avoid it. With Devil, the first film in the proposed "Night Chronicles" trilogy, I didn't have high hopes. It certainly seemed like an interesting movie, but Shyamalan has worn out his welcome.

Luckily, Devil exceeds expectations. Yes, it's a silly movie and it certainly has it flaws. However, it is surprisingly nerveracking and scary. The movie works as a creepy, psychological thriller with some powerful elements of the supernatural. I was surprised that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did. I'd have to say this is a good film.

The basic idea is simple, but there's enough here to pull back various levels of complexity. The premise is that five people are trapped on an elevator and one of them is the Devil. This becomes an interesting "who is the Devil?" mystery, and the film does a good job of keeping us guessing. At various points, I was convinced each of the five was the evil one, and I was convinced each of the five couldn't be. The resulting revelation is a bit silly, but at least the movie keeps you in a state of suspense until the end.

In addition to that surface level, there's quite a bit more to this film. There is the basis in the "Devil's Meeting" folktale, and there's quite a bit there to explore. In addition to our five trapped strangers, we also have security guards and eventually cops watching them on security cameras. Surprisingly, these scenes are equally as powerful as the ones in the elevator. That was unexpected, but welcome.

The cast was well assembled- they are almost all familiar faces, but people whose names we don't know. This gave the movie a feeling of familiarity, yet there weren't any "names" that detracted from the viewing experience. I really liked Logan Marshall-Green. I hope he has a big career ahead of him, because he shined in this film. The rest of the cast is good, too.

I really like supernatural films that try to hit the audience on an intellectual level. So many horror movies have been stripped down to be as simple and expected as possible. It's rare for a horror movie to challenge our preconceptions and to make us think. Devil did that, and I really appreciated it.

So, while this film could be viewed for its flaws, plot holes, and silly moments, as a whole, the film worked for me. I loved the mystery of it, and the suspense, and the thrilling scenes. The ending is a bit contrived, but as a whole, Devil surpassed my expectations. This is a good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Devil's Advocate, End of Days, Quarantine, The Sixth Sense