455 reviews
I know this was "from the mind of Manoj Night Shyamalan" and it was riding on a wave of pretty bad press, but strangely enough, I found the movie to be pretty good.
This movie delivered what it promised, a solid taut thriller which can keep one on the edge of the seat for the optimum 1 hour and 20 minutes of running time. The acting was surprisingly consistent and good throughout by all the actors involved (tough for a low budgeter to achieve), the screenplay didn't indulge in unnecessary Boo moments to propel things forward, the script was solid and everything tied up well at the end.
I mean cmon critics, for once please give Shyamalan a break! Far better return on my money than the steaming goo pile called the "Due Date".
This movie delivered what it promised, a solid taut thriller which can keep one on the edge of the seat for the optimum 1 hour and 20 minutes of running time. The acting was surprisingly consistent and good throughout by all the actors involved (tough for a low budgeter to achieve), the screenplay didn't indulge in unnecessary Boo moments to propel things forward, the script was solid and everything tied up well at the end.
I mean cmon critics, for once please give Shyamalan a break! Far better return on my money than the steaming goo pile called the "Due Date".
- vikascoder
- Nov 7, 2010
- Permalink
I enjoyed the cinematography. Especially the opening scenes and the scenes inside the elevator shaft. The music was typical string instruments going back and forth... could have been more eerie and composed with more feeling.
I was pretty shocked to be sitting in an empty theater on opening night. Guess MNS has sort of blown his reputation.
I didn't try to guess the ending, I decided to just enjoy the ride. It did end rather abruptly, as if it was a TV show that had to end by a certain time. They could have fleshed out certain scenes longer and made a more comprehensive experience.
I went to see this alone as nobody I knew was interested... I'm glad I went, it was enjoyable, more so than I expected it to be.
I was pretty shocked to be sitting in an empty theater on opening night. Guess MNS has sort of blown his reputation.
I didn't try to guess the ending, I decided to just enjoy the ride. It did end rather abruptly, as if it was a TV show that had to end by a certain time. They could have fleshed out certain scenes longer and made a more comprehensive experience.
I went to see this alone as nobody I knew was interested... I'm glad I went, it was enjoyable, more so than I expected it to be.
- msanjelpie
- Sep 16, 2010
- Permalink
- AnnaPagrati
- Aug 29, 2021
- Permalink
Produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Devil is an intense supernatural thriller. The story follows five strangers who get stuck in an elevator and begin to turn on each other after one of them is attacked and killed during a power outage, meanwhile some unknown force seemingly prevents rescue from the outside. The script is especially well-written, and really brings dramatic tension to the situation. The storytelling too is quite engrossing; drawing the audience into the mystery of who the characters are and what is happening. A riveting and well-crafted film, Devil does an extraordinary job at exploring the themes of paranoia and fear.
M. Night Shyamalan is one of those love him or hate him directors for whom there's no middle ground, so it hasn't helped that he's given his detractors a lot to crow about with his recent downward spiral with successively poor to abysmal movies ranging from The Lady in the Water to 2010's biggest stinker, The Last Airbender. It's been a critical pile-on for the one time golden boy who wowed audiences and critics alike with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.
Things have gotten so bad that when the trailer for Devil hit theatres with the on-screen tag line "From the Mind of M. Night Shyamalan", guffaws were reported from audiences and on-line gadflies like Perez Hilton had a field day posting viral videos mocking the promos.
All of which is too bad because not only is Devil a compelling, riveting bit of movie making, but Shyamalan's involvement was limited to writing the story and co-producing, which, given his recent track record, was probably for the best.
Smartly directed by John Erick Dowdle, whose last effort was Quarantine, the equally tight and faithful remake of the Spanish horror REC, Devil marks the first instalment in a trilogy of films dubbed The Night Chronicles, which revolve around the supernatural in modern urban settings (the second film is tentatively titled Reincarnate, about the jurors of a murder trial who are haunted by a supernatural being, and Unbreakable 2 rumoured as the third instalment).
In Devil's case, the plot could easily function as a textbook case of film school 101, tasking a writer and director to fashion a small story, restricted in scope, set in the cramped environment of a stalled elevator. You can almost hear film school professors saying "if you can pull this off, you can do anything". Happily, Dowdle succeeds with flying colours.
Devil is as compelling as the story is confined. It's smart from beginning to end, almost like the hybrid elevator equivalent of Hitchcock's Lifeboat and Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. A disparate group boards a Philadelphia office tower elevator, only to become trapped between floors and mortally victimized by someone among them who clearly possesses supernatural ability every time the lights flicker and momentarily go out.
Don't look for spoilers here as I won't be providing any. Suffice to say that Devil is one of the most smartly written, acted, and directed films I've had the pleasure to enjoy this year.
Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of Shyamalan's road back to respectability. If nothing else, it shows that he still has the chops as a top notch story teller.
Things have gotten so bad that when the trailer for Devil hit theatres with the on-screen tag line "From the Mind of M. Night Shyamalan", guffaws were reported from audiences and on-line gadflies like Perez Hilton had a field day posting viral videos mocking the promos.
All of which is too bad because not only is Devil a compelling, riveting bit of movie making, but Shyamalan's involvement was limited to writing the story and co-producing, which, given his recent track record, was probably for the best.
Smartly directed by John Erick Dowdle, whose last effort was Quarantine, the equally tight and faithful remake of the Spanish horror REC, Devil marks the first instalment in a trilogy of films dubbed The Night Chronicles, which revolve around the supernatural in modern urban settings (the second film is tentatively titled Reincarnate, about the jurors of a murder trial who are haunted by a supernatural being, and Unbreakable 2 rumoured as the third instalment).
In Devil's case, the plot could easily function as a textbook case of film school 101, tasking a writer and director to fashion a small story, restricted in scope, set in the cramped environment of a stalled elevator. You can almost hear film school professors saying "if you can pull this off, you can do anything". Happily, Dowdle succeeds with flying colours.
Devil is as compelling as the story is confined. It's smart from beginning to end, almost like the hybrid elevator equivalent of Hitchcock's Lifeboat and Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. A disparate group boards a Philadelphia office tower elevator, only to become trapped between floors and mortally victimized by someone among them who clearly possesses supernatural ability every time the lights flicker and momentarily go out.
Don't look for spoilers here as I won't be providing any. Suffice to say that Devil is one of the most smartly written, acted, and directed films I've had the pleasure to enjoy this year.
Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of Shyamalan's road back to respectability. If nothing else, it shows that he still has the chops as a top notch story teller.
- Craig_McPherson
- Sep 17, 2010
- Permalink
The concept was intriguing, so I was very eager to watch Devil. And I did like it on the whole. I was dubious though seeing as M Night Shyamalan was producing and writing, now I loved The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable and Signs and The Village had some good things too, but after that his films had ranged from strange to dire.
I think it was a good thing that Shyamalan produced and wrote this movie rather than directed, that way we could see more of the promising story-telling that he proved he was capable of with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, and less of the trying to do too much notion that spoilt The Village for example.
Devil is not a perfect movie, it is too short, the ending was rushed and abrupt and the character of Ramirez was rather annoying with the unintentionally funny bit with the pizza slice really jarring with the atmosphere. However it is smartly directed by John Erick Dowdle, the atmosphere is spooky and tense and the cinematography and sound effects are really effective.
The music score is does enhance the mood mostly, but there are times when it does get rather obvious. The dialogue is apart from a couple of cheesy and out of place moments with Ramirez taut and the story complete with a great idea is well paced and works very well generally. The characters are not the most memorable but they are more than the stereotypes that we found in The Happening and Lady in the Water, and the acting while not award-worthy is good with Chris Messina and Bojana Novakovic particularly noteworthy.
All in all, a decent film that falls slightly short of what it could've been, but it could've been much worse than it turned out. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox
I think it was a good thing that Shyamalan produced and wrote this movie rather than directed, that way we could see more of the promising story-telling that he proved he was capable of with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, and less of the trying to do too much notion that spoilt The Village for example.
Devil is not a perfect movie, it is too short, the ending was rushed and abrupt and the character of Ramirez was rather annoying with the unintentionally funny bit with the pizza slice really jarring with the atmosphere. However it is smartly directed by John Erick Dowdle, the atmosphere is spooky and tense and the cinematography and sound effects are really effective.
The music score is does enhance the mood mostly, but there are times when it does get rather obvious. The dialogue is apart from a couple of cheesy and out of place moments with Ramirez taut and the story complete with a great idea is well paced and works very well generally. The characters are not the most memorable but they are more than the stereotypes that we found in The Happening and Lady in the Water, and the acting while not award-worthy is good with Chris Messina and Bojana Novakovic particularly noteworthy.
All in all, a decent film that falls slightly short of what it could've been, but it could've been much worse than it turned out. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jan 11, 2012
- Permalink
I didn't have that much expectations for this movie. Just watched it as it was horror drama and runtime was also short. To my surprise, the movie was good. It had elements of horror and surprise and keeps you gripped till the end. You want to know how will movie end. Overall, it was a good watch.
- akshatmahajan
- Jun 20, 2022
- Permalink
- Smells_Like_Cheese
- Sep 6, 2011
- Permalink
It can be a little silly at times, but for the most part- Devil is a perfectly crafted and brilliantly claustrophobic psychological thriller that is bound to keep you guessing till the very end. That's right, in the same year Shyamalan gave us his very worst film, he also provided help for the screenplay of some of his best, or at the very least, better works. The film is intriguing from the getgo- a murder mystery unfolding into a claustrophobic nightmare gone wrong. It does a brilliant job of capturing the tension on the screen, especially through the great cinematography throughout and a clear direction of tone. What I feel the film does so well however, is being able to balance fantasy and realism to an unsettling degree- knowing the audience won't quite know where the film will take us and building on that to a large degree to keep us guessing. The acting, for the most part, isn't anything special. Somewhat mediocre performances from some of the main elevator gang- although Logan Marshall Green and especially Chris Messina do bring their all to the characters at hand- even though they can seem a bit shallow at times. In the end, Devil is a well crafted and tension building thriller that is able to balance its horror in a very unique and brilliant fashion. It may not play all its cards right, but it does still prove to be a chilling ride- as well as a true masterclass in budget filmmaking.
My Rating: 8.5/10.
My Rating: 8.5/10.
- Allierubystein666
- Oct 4, 2021
- Permalink
After several weaker movies, Shyamalan begin to work on a new trilogy about the presence of supernatural evil in big cities. He concentrated on the script and preferred to let other people direct the movie and so you might expect that this first part of Shyamalan's renaissance must be a well elaborated and twisted masterpiece. Well, this is absolutely not the case, there are no major twists or surprises in the story. But that doesn't mean that this movie is without the glimpse of a doubt a very well done psycho thriller.
Let me mention the negative points first. The movie isn't really long. There are only two minor twists and the first one is not that much surprising while the second one is an interesting turning point of the story but also a little bit predictable towards the end of the movie. The story is not really innovating and this time, Shyamalan really delivers what he announces in the previews. Because of the short running time, not every character is extremely well developed and profound. The critical and philosophic influence that many movies of Shyamalan had is not very present in this movie.
But there are more positive points about this movie. There is a high tension present throughout the whole length of the movie and this is what makes the watching experience breathless and intense, you don't see time pass at all. The movie spares out the unnecessary and goes straight in your face which isn't that usual for Shyamalan's earlier works. That is something new, fresh and innovative coming from him and a little positive surprise for many but maybe also a little deception for some of his more purist fans. The interactions between the characters in the elevator are intense and very interesting. Every character has a very unique and special behaviour and something interesting to hide even if the characters could have been more developed if the movie had maybe twenty minutes more running time. The actions in the movie become more and more intense towards the finish and end up in a well done finale that leaves you with no open questions.
All in all, this is surely not the best of Shyamalan's movies but way better than the last stuff he has done before this movie. It is not a very surprising and philosophical movie, but rather a short and intense psycho thriller. It is a very good movie but far away from being the best movie of the year. It is worth watching it at the cinema or at home, but i wouldn't recommend buying this movie at the full price without having seen it before.
Let me mention the negative points first. The movie isn't really long. There are only two minor twists and the first one is not that much surprising while the second one is an interesting turning point of the story but also a little bit predictable towards the end of the movie. The story is not really innovating and this time, Shyamalan really delivers what he announces in the previews. Because of the short running time, not every character is extremely well developed and profound. The critical and philosophic influence that many movies of Shyamalan had is not very present in this movie.
But there are more positive points about this movie. There is a high tension present throughout the whole length of the movie and this is what makes the watching experience breathless and intense, you don't see time pass at all. The movie spares out the unnecessary and goes straight in your face which isn't that usual for Shyamalan's earlier works. That is something new, fresh and innovative coming from him and a little positive surprise for many but maybe also a little deception for some of his more purist fans. The interactions between the characters in the elevator are intense and very interesting. Every character has a very unique and special behaviour and something interesting to hide even if the characters could have been more developed if the movie had maybe twenty minutes more running time. The actions in the movie become more and more intense towards the finish and end up in a well done finale that leaves you with no open questions.
All in all, this is surely not the best of Shyamalan's movies but way better than the last stuff he has done before this movie. It is not a very surprising and philosophical movie, but rather a short and intense psycho thriller. It is a very good movie but far away from being the best movie of the year. It is worth watching it at the cinema or at home, but i wouldn't recommend buying this movie at the full price without having seen it before.
- eyecandyforu
- Sep 18, 2010
- Permalink
- DICK STEEL
- Sep 14, 2010
- Permalink
- michaelRokeefe
- Sep 18, 2010
- Permalink
What is the point of watching a movie when the narrator tells you the story before it happens? How about instead of telling me the story at the beginning of the movie LET ME WATCH IT.
I get the sense that MNS was worried people wouldn't understand the movie was based on a bedtime story some grandmother told a kid, like some did with Lady in the Water.
The actual movie itself was good. The acting was pleasant. I thought the writing was above average. I would have enjoyed it more had I not known what was going to happen, before it happened, because the narrator told me it would happen.
And another thing, we don't need to be told it is a story about the Devil. We can figure that out on our own from the title of the movie!
I get the sense that MNS was worried people wouldn't understand the movie was based on a bedtime story some grandmother told a kid, like some did with Lady in the Water.
The actual movie itself was good. The acting was pleasant. I thought the writing was above average. I would have enjoyed it more had I not known what was going to happen, before it happened, because the narrator told me it would happen.
And another thing, we don't need to be told it is a story about the Devil. We can figure that out on our own from the title of the movie!
- jimlivingston
- Dec 9, 2010
- Permalink
First of all, the plot of the movie was very interesting and when I first watched the trailer of the movie, I really liked it. The storyline was very well written and most parts of the movie were well-explained. The characters were kinda interesting and well-developed, but not really likeable. The filming location of the movie was basically an elevator in a huge skyscraper, it was very claustrophobic. The killcount of the movie wasn't really bloody, but most kills were done in a really shocking way. The casting and the acting were both just fine. Also, it was a very intense movie and there were too many shocking scenes! The ending scene was definitely unexpected and the plot twist was really good. Moreover, there were many jumpscares and scary scenes during the movie and most of them were definitely unpredictable. Overall, it was a really good movie, full of plot twists and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
- funnycommentor
- Feb 27, 2023
- Permalink
- Apalerwuss
- Jun 12, 2022
- Permalink
Pretty good movie all around. Pretty creepy. It went by fast though. Was not expecting who the "devil" was
- MovieLover1925
- Jul 26, 2020
- Permalink
Great acting, funny, thrilling, edge of your seat fun. I am not a fan of M. Night Shylaman, but I have to admit I really enjoyed this movie. I went in with very low expectations being that as I said I'm not a fan and really, how much action can you put in an elevator? I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The movie had me hooked from the very beginning. The cinematography was amazing. The swooping shots of the city, the creepy elevator shaft, all set the mood for shivers as it reminded me of my fear of extreme heights and confined spaces.
As the story progressed and you learned more about the characters I found myself completely engaged and sitting at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.
ZombieSteak.com - Discover a new world of horror films, designed just for you.
The movie had me hooked from the very beginning. The cinematography was amazing. The swooping shots of the city, the creepy elevator shaft, all set the mood for shivers as it reminded me of my fear of extreme heights and confined spaces.
As the story progressed and you learned more about the characters I found myself completely engaged and sitting at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.
ZombieSteak.com - Discover a new world of horror films, designed just for you.
- jennifer-25-965231
- Jul 27, 2011
- Permalink
- doorsscorpywag
- Nov 30, 2010
- Permalink
This film had a lot of bad rep. Everyone kept saying it was going to be horrible. However, I still went to see it, as the story and the concept interested me.
Now, in my opinion, the film is right up there with The Sixth Sense. It's engaging, keeps you guessing, and you leave feeling like you just saw a darn good movie.
The film doesn't rely on gore heavily. Instead, the film wants you to guess just who is the devil in that elevator. The story is fresh and makes a clear connection between all characters.
The bottom line is-- sure, it's not the best film ever, but it is a pretty darn good one. 8/10.
Now, in my opinion, the film is right up there with The Sixth Sense. It's engaging, keeps you guessing, and you leave feeling like you just saw a darn good movie.
The film doesn't rely on gore heavily. Instead, the film wants you to guess just who is the devil in that elevator. The story is fresh and makes a clear connection between all characters.
The bottom line is-- sure, it's not the best film ever, but it is a pretty darn good one. 8/10.
Maybe 7 out of 10 is generous but I mark it highly perhaps because I had such low expectations which were thankfully unnecessary.
This film's credits open with the title The Night Chronicles 1 which suggests to me his fan-boy homage to Spielberg has stretched to emulating the guru's Amazing Stories phase. This film does feel rather like one of those episodes rather than a full-blown movie: no stars, little location etc.
However, as a story, it's rather good (suspension of disbelief taken for granted).
And, it's rather well handled directorially. For instance, the upside-down sklyline speaks volumes without costing any extra.
The film is ultimately a whodunnit. Maybe I'm stupid but come betting slip time, I didn't get it. If you do, you may hate it. I didn't so I don't. Besides, I haven't seen this Christian propaganda in a while & it made me kinda nostalgic for those Omen days.
This film's credits open with the title The Night Chronicles 1 which suggests to me his fan-boy homage to Spielberg has stretched to emulating the guru's Amazing Stories phase. This film does feel rather like one of those episodes rather than a full-blown movie: no stars, little location etc.
However, as a story, it's rather good (suspension of disbelief taken for granted).
And, it's rather well handled directorially. For instance, the upside-down sklyline speaks volumes without costing any extra.
The film is ultimately a whodunnit. Maybe I'm stupid but come betting slip time, I didn't get it. If you do, you may hate it. I didn't so I don't. Besides, I haven't seen this Christian propaganda in a while & it made me kinda nostalgic for those Omen days.
- beatleblack
- Oct 2, 2010
- Permalink
- peterlane5
- Oct 8, 2010
- Permalink
- jenni-charlton
- Jun 19, 2013
- Permalink
- graphicsguy-903-859031
- Dec 22, 2010
- Permalink