Sightlines · reception
How Late Night with the Devil was received
2024 · Cameron Cairnes · Late Night with the Devil on Sightlines
The arc
A SXSW 2023 sensation that became a genuine 2024 indie hit — it gave IFC Films its biggest opening ever, and even a pre-release firestorm over its use of AI-generated art couldn't stop it becoming one of the year's best-reviewed horror films.
What’s debated
The fight is over the handful of AI-generated interstitial images — some fans called for a boycott while others argued a scrappy indie shouldn't be canceled over three cutaway cards — with a side debate about whether the finale sticks the landing.
Its footprint
Stephen King's tweet calling it 'absolutely brilliant' became the film's unofficial poster quote, and its pitch-perfect 70s late-night pastiche made 'Night Owls with Jack Delroy' feel like a show people half-remember actually watching.
Where it stands
An instant Letterboxd darling and modern horror favorite, cherished above all as the moment character-actor royalty David Dastmalchian finally got his leading role.
Did you know? IFC Films gleefully announced the film grossed exactly $666,666 on its opening Sunday — a devilish box-office figure the studio milked for all it was worth.
Named by the director
- Ghostwatch (1992) — The Cairnes brothers acknowledged the BBC's infamous fake-live broadcast as a touchstone for their possessed-TV conceit.