 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Devil • Year: 2010 • Country: USA • Director: John Erick Dowdle • Main cast: Chris Messina, Caroline Dhavernas, Bokeem Woodbine • Runtime: 80 minutes • Production company: Universal Pictures • TRAILER |
I have a weakness for movies with only one scenario. I like the idea of the hole plot having to take place in only one space: I think it’s an interesting limitation that approaches cinema to theater, and concentrates the efforts on the acting and script. And although this film doesn’t take place in only one location, the main action does: 5 strangers meet in an elevator, get trapped, and one of them is the devil. Sounds nice and claustrophobic, doesn’t it?
The story comes from M. Night Shyamalan, but it was written by screenwriter Brian Nelson (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night) and directed by John Erick Dowdle (not sure if it was because Shyamalan was already involved with “The last Airbender” or because of other Studios decisions). Even if the idea is better than the result, I think it’s one of those movies worth watching. Maybe it went through too many hands before seeing the light, maybe it used too many clichés, or maybe Shyamalan is definitely unstoppable in his free falling from being involved in very good movies to mediocre ones. But Devil turned out to be an entertaining product, with good rythm along the only 80 minutes of runtime, and able of keeping the tension until the end. Sometimes it’s good to know when to keep things short and simple.
The film doesn’t get boring, the photography and settings are good. The main characters, the 5 from the elevator and the detective, are very decent. There are some scary moments, among a lot of predictable ones. But in general, for an elevator tale, the adventure comes out pretty good. It entertains without pretensions, so it’s clearly a pass.
“Devil” is supposed to be the first of The Night Chronicles trilogy; a series of films that would involve the supernatural within the modern urban society. But until now there are no signs of the other coming.
RATE: 5,5/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314655
