Devil is a supernatural thriller based on a story by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs). It's about a group of people trapped in an elevator. One of them is the Devil, but which one? The cast includes Julia & Julia's Chris Messina.
This film forms the first chapter of the so-called 'Night Chronicles' – a trilogy of Shyamalan supernatural thrillers. The second film has also been announced: Twelve Strangers, due for a 2011 release, about a jury debating a case with supernatural occurrences.
Despite having a better strike rate than, say, George Lucas, M Night Shyamalan has become a pariah due to a pernicious combination of ego, flops and excruciating cameos. Perhaps casting himself as the saviour of the universe (in Lady In The Water) wasn’t the best idea. Still, you live and learn, and his cinematic rehabilitation begins with uncharacteristic modesty, producing John Erick Dowdle’s neat little shocker about five people stuck in a lift with something – or someone – evil. It’s like Agatha Christie meets Cube (both feature characters called Kazan). Well, almost.
Beginning with gorgeous, upside-down shots of the Philadelphia cityscape, which turn the skyscrapers into impossible stalactites, Devil bears traces of Shyamalan’s grandiosity but none of his narcissism. Kept punchy and to the point by Dowdle, the film quickly settles down into a supernatural whodunit, leavened with lift-music gags and expensively overwrought shots of cop Chris Messina’s rescuers outside. “I need you to stop telling campfire stories and get your head in the game!” barks Messina – advice The Last Airbender director seems to have taken onboard. Tense, overheated but played rigorously straight, Devil is exactly what you want from a B-movie.
By Matt Glasby, Flicks.co.nz
This isn't Shyamalan's best work, but Devil is a good, if rather short (80 min) movie. I'm afraid my wife and I soon figured out who the Devil is. Just eliminate those who would be good candidates to be the Devil and therefore are unlikely to actually be the Devil and you should figure it out soon enough.
Very poor effort which offers no real action or suspense, bad cast, ham dialogue and overt religious preaching. Avoid.
...is how my 12 year old described this movie.
Reasonable thriller, definitely not a horror movie, no real "frights" to speak of so don't be disappointed by the lack - if that's what you're looking for then look elsewhere. Probably a decent choice to bring a girl to see on a first or second date... it's tense enough in parts for her to squirm and want to bury her face but guys *should* get away without peeing their pants....
Scary!!
Like Lucifer himself, M Night Shyamalan has had a massive fall from grace.
"From the mind of M Night Shyamalan" is the line on the poster, which instantly had my hopes hoisted high that I was off to see a truly lousy film.
While the script throws a few spiritual contrivances our way, it's a fun and tense watch and a promising start for the 'Shyamalan Presents' marque.
Plunging counterweights, whiplash cables, clamp-like sliding doors – movie lifts are forever conspiring to do away with their passengers
Do not expect to make any sense of the plot of The Devil's Own - this is about as far from an intelligent analysis of the situation in Northern Ireland (as responsibly dealt with by Michael Collins or In The Name Of The Father) as it's possible to get.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 2nd Dec 2010.
Release date: December 2nd 2010.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
