"The Devil All the Time," (2020). Directed by Antonio Campos. Written by Antonio Campos (screenplay) and Paulo Campos and others. Starring Donald Ray Pollock as the narrator, Bill Skarsgard, Tom Holland (Arvin), and Robert Pattinson as Rev. Teagardin. As this film opens, the viewer is directed to a map of a part of West Virginia, the area around Nitro. Immediately we sense that the setting for TDATT is an impoverished area whose inhabitants are denizens of a culturally backward class of Anglo people. A narrator makes an appearance and introduces us to and informs us about the characters in this story in much the same way that Chaucer uses the Prologue of his Canterbury Tales to setup the structure of his verse. In TDATT, the narrator gives us glimpses into the narcissistic/supply paradigm through various vignettes or tales such as The Friar's Tale, featuring a specific character or characters. The predatory instinct of the narcissistic personality type is revealed through cunning and lethal imagery, both psychological and physical. Religion and prayer are tools in the community arsenal used to guide the pilgrim and restore order. Both tools enable the community to rein in the terror foisted on the community by the Devil, or in this case malignant narcissists preying on the innocent. So we have an enlacement (complexio) of the prey/pray adnominadio running throughout. When Arvin, the protector of his family, is trying to figure out to restore order to his community, he contemplates what his aunt, the elder in his family, would advise him. She would tell him "to pray on it." So Arvin decides "to have prayer" with the predators. He preys on them. He stalks them. Watches them. Reveals to them that they have been unmasked. And that he will seek justice. And deliver it. So in effect, it is the men of right action who enable the rights of their people. Men who are able to use common sense and analytical powers restore order because, you know, the Devil nevers sleeps!
This is one of those very special tour-de-force movies with all the stops pulled out. Excellent in every way. Screenplay, direction, acting, art production. And most of all...a message. A message which tells us what is the meaning of prayer. I give this film 5 of 5 stars. It's on Netflix. Enjoy!
Review of The Devil All the Time
