Mr. Wriggles
Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes
Starring David Dastmalchian, Ian Bliss, Laura Gordon
Released March 22nd, 2024
Rated R
An engaging opening sequence of news footage from the turbulent 1970s (narrated by Michael Ironside!) sets the tone for Late Night with the Devil, a low budget, high concept horror film about how far a talk show host goes to satisfy his avarice. In this dynamic opening sequence, we learn about Jack Delroy’s (David Dastmalchian) quest to dethrone Johnny Carson as the king of late night, we learn about his happy marriage to his supportive wife Madeleine (Georgina Haig), and we learn about his membership in a shady club for the rich and powerful that is rumored to engage in occult activities. The low budget doesn’t hamper the film’s special effects, including demonic makeup and levitating chairs, which are all well done and believable. The high concept comes in because we are told the film we are about to see is in fact newly recovered footage of an actual television broadcast from Halloween night in 1977 (a Monday!).
Night Owls with Jack Delroy is a talk show that has all the trappings you’d expect, including a mustachioed sidekick (Rhys Auteri), a house band, and a monologue of jokes that are decidedly mid. We will be treated to a succession of guests before anything horrific happens, but it’s easy to settle in to the 1970s chat show vibe thanks to Jack Delroy’s easygoing hosting style, brought to life by an impressive David Dastmalchian. Dastmalchian never ventures into parody or satire, he keeps Jack Delroy grounded as a believable talk show host trying to keep his show together.
Jack’s first guest is Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), a medium who claims to receive messages from the dead. His next guest is Carmichael (Ian Bliss), an illusionist who has become a debunker of all things paranormal (a character clearly based on The Amazing Randi). Jack’s next guest is Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), a self-described parapsychologist who authored a book called Conversations with the Devil. Her book chronicles her work with a 10-year-old girl who was rescued from a satanic cult. Dr. Ross-Mitchell is joined on the Night Owls panel by the girl, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), now thirteen. Jack, desperate to boost ratings during sweeps week, suggests that Dr. Ross-Mitchell and Lilly perform a live summoning of a demon Lilly calls “Mr. Wriggles.” This is something that feels like it could have happened in the late 1970s at the height of exorcist fever.
When the Night Owls talk show cuts to a commercial for the viewers in TV Land, we stay in the television studio, via black and white “behind-the-scenes” footage. I’m not sure a cameraman would have been following our host around shooting footage like this, but that’s where suspension of disbelief comes in. In these scenes we learn about the supernatural stress permeating the set of Night Owls, and the debts Jack Delroy may have to repay. For those that truly believe that success in the entertainment industry is tied to ritualistic sacrifice to demonic forces, Late Night with the Devil may not go far enough to expose such nefarious machinations. For a more horrific exploration of this concept, I recommend the excellent horror film Starry Eyes.
The ethics of using A.I. in any creative endeavor is an ongoing and highly contentious conversation that has obviously only just begun. Because the filmmakers used artificial intelligence to create three of the talk show interstitials that are briefly seen during the film, the ire of the internet has rained down upon them. The interstitials didn’t bother me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are removed before the film hits physical media.
While Late Night with the Devil proves to be more interesting than frightening, it’s still a recommended watch. Not only are the sets and costumes straight out of the 1970s, but the entire cast feels authentic in their looks and mannerisms. The production design, hair and makeup department, and the cast have gone above and beyond most other films that purport to be lost relics of a bygone age. While you may not ever fully believe you are watching lost media, Late Night with the Devil does an impressive job being immersive enough to be a scary good time.