I don't think it's any secret that M. Night Shyamalan's film history is shaky at best, with his strange obsession of having to add a twist to all of his films to mix things up. Sometimes they work well, like in the rather popular Sixth Sense, but more often than not, they tend to fall short...The Village anyone? Don't let the idea that Shyamalan did not direct Devil convince you that it doesn't have his "touch" on it, because he did come up with the story. He did, however, turn the writing over to Brian Nelson. Whenever I see one of Shyamalan's films, I tend to keep my expectations on the lower end of the spectrum, so that may have something to do with me liking it as much as I did. Not the best horror film I've seen, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Devil is the first of three films in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Night Chronicles" series; think of it as a modern day "Twilight Zone." When five strangers enter an elevator in a Philadelphia office building, none of them knew what they were getting into. When the elevator suddenly stops functioning and becomes stuck, people start to panic, becoming aware of the potential disasters they may unfold. Things quickly go from bad to worse when blood is spilled and the blaming games begin.
First things first: yes the trademark Shyamalan twist is present but it is not one that tries to be overly ambitious and it actually works quite well and really brings the story arc in a complete circle, while also keeping the sub plots in the back ground and not allowing them to take over, which very easily could have happened. What it also does is take advantage of the idea of being enclosed in an enclosed space, like an elevator, and embraces the feelings of claustrophobia and the tension that comes along with being stuck in a box with a killer...or worse. I wouldn't say the movie is scary, but more intense than anything.
One thing that stood out to me was the use of the camera and it's angles to assist in creating tension; using a lot of close up shots and chaotic movements, but not overly active like you would see in a Bourne movie. The opening and closing sequences provide a cool bookend effect to the story by starting the film off with chaos and ending it with order. Director
John Erick Dowdle, who's last film was
Quarantine from 2008, utilizes some of the same little tricks and effects here, which is both good and bad. On one side, his style is quite effective in a movie of this ilk, taking advantage of the dark. On the other hand, it's been done before and lacks a bit in creativity.
I was impressed with a couple of the actors, but generally unimpressed by the rather clichéd characters and their portrayals. the Mechanic and the Young Girl (yes, that is how they are billed) both did a great job in emoting their role and making the feelings come across as believable and real. The others, the Guard and the Old Woman were a bit over the top and a tad annoying. As a whole, they basically just cancel each other out.
This is the second film this weekend in which I was surprised by its content compared to its rating. There was a large amount of gore and insinuated violence throughout the movie, considering that it had a PG-13 rating. I realize that the MPAA is getting a bit more lax in its rating and it has to in order to stay up with the times, but it still makes me wonder.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. It is paced well and and decently put together, even though the story is not all that great. It does a good job of holding your attention, all the while keeping you guessing as to "whodunnit." Once the twist hits, it makes sense and pulls the story together. It's not a film I'd rush out to the theater to see, but it's a great film to watch if you want to see something that will jolt your nerves a bit.
Grade: B