This is an interactive horror film that offers a different experience due to a vibe of twists. For those who love both talk shows and horror, Late Night with the Devil combines these two formats into a relentless ride that does not hold back. The writing is stellar, the continuity is obscure, and the scenes are a blur of enticing excitement. Late Night with the Devil is a film where the fun never ends. The Halloween theme in Late Night with the Devil is one to die for. Think about talk shows ranging from hosts such as Larry King, David Letterman, Jimmy Carson, and Jay Leno. Then imagine those shows and throw in The Exorcist. That describes the experience that audiences will get with Late Night with the Devil.

The film is set in 1977. The audience is introduced to a talk show host, Jack Delroy (played by David Dastmalchian). Jack has had many years of success followed by many years filled with tragedies. However, in his next talk show segment, he plans to make it his best one yet to help boost his popularity. His difficult upbringing does not serve him well for this segment which features guests ranging from June Ross-Mitchell (played by Laura Gordon), Carmichael Hunt (played by Ian Bliss), Christou (played by Fayssai Bazzi), and Lilly D’Abo (played by Ingrid Torelli). The concept of the show is to talk about demons, spirits, and reality. The setup may seem focused on entertaining shocks and awes, but as the show progresses, the nightmare for Jack and his guests evolves rapidly. Some feel like they are possessed, some feel like they are zombies, and some feel they must say, “The power of Christ compels you,” just for survival. Jack must figure out the backstory behind such demonic moments impacting his show. If he does not, it may be too late. During the film, the cinematography goes black when they go on station breaks. I liked this part of the film’s creative process, because it felt like color was a signal to get scared, and black and white meant the audience could take a break from being scared.

The karma surrounding Late Night with the Devil is where the haunts were most effective. It is a film where the scares will make viewers laugh, gasp, and think about what other surprises are next. Dastmalchian is brilliant as the lead and must not panic or break character. His performance is harrowing and his character is realistic and spellbinding. The film provides anexperience where the terrors have power which continue to grow. The talk show is doomed, the audience is scared, and the reality TV setting means all bets are off.

This is one of the best horror films I have seen this year because of an interesting premise and a set of clever surprises. It has anartistic side that is highlighted by a surreal galore of terror. There is no hiding from the unexpected in Late Night with the Devil. Three out of four stars.

This is one those slasher films where the intention feels like it is to make viewers giggle, scream, and snicker. My experience with Departing Seniors involved watching the audience find the fun in terror and laugh their heads off. I did the same thing. Departing Seniors is a slasher film with imaginative irony. Itspremise is based on the life of high school seniors. Who expects a high school horror film to be funny? There are many notable moments in Departing Seniors. Claire Cooney knows how to be innovative and include many twists as a director and editor. Her directing in Departing Seniors is one-of-a-kind. Audiences should expect to be surprised, but also expect to shed some tears due to laughter.

Departing Seniors focuses on Javier (played by Ignacio-Diaz-Silverio). He is a high school senior who is dealing with an underlying issue, i.e., psychic abilities. Based on these abilities,he can figure out the many dangers that are going on in his school. For example, there is a serial killer going back and forth sporadically. Javier is not a popular student. However, his teacher, Mr. Arda (played by Yani Gellman), seems to be very interested in him, which sets off a red flag. Javier and his friends, Ginny (played by Maisie Merlock) and Bianca (played by Ireon Roach), are concerned about the tragic aftermath of the events occurring at their school. For everyone, the biggest concern is these things are happening right before they graduate high school. The title speaks for itself here. Ironically, the students find themselves more concerned about missing out on fun and having their graduation ruined than they are about the deaths caused by the serial killer.

The joyful part of Departing Seniors is the fact that it exposesthe obliviousness of students worrying about their final school days being impacted. While all the crazy and dangerous events are taking place throughout the school, Javier realizes when and where the killings might happen. Nevertheless, he is not brave enough to admit what he knows because of his concern that it might cause him to feel disconnected again. The humorous part of putting concerns about being disconnected over safety is where Departing Seniors is cleverly directed. When the kills do happen, it is out of the blue and the surprises are unexpected. I found myself laughing when the slashing would just happen on the spur of the moment. Sometimes in the film there are already situations filled with some humor or frustration, but then bang, a murder happens. Departing Seniors is well paced and giveshorror fans a wild ride with plenty of slashes and laughs.

Overall, it is an experience of dramatic irony and terror. The punchlines are a bit abstract and unexpected, but the outcomes are a revelation. Departing Seniors is a film where the chills build, the psychic abilities become detrimental, and it is a wonderous adventure for the Halloween season. The experience is memorable due to the scares and endless laughs. Three out of four stars for Departing Seniors.