M. Night Shyamalan has become the butt of many jokes over his career—an apparent inability to make a movie without a twist has become his trademark and curse. Shyamalan wrote and produced "Devil," which is a story of claustrophobia and murder that in some ways branches out from his usual pattern. It’s a psychological horror about a group of people trapped in an elevator who realize that the devil is amongst them. When I first heard the synopsis I kept wondering, where could the twist be? The big kicker of "Devil" is that, while there isn't one big twist there are many small twists.
As the film starts, overly dramatic music serenades your ears while you soar through the skies of an upside down city. A narrator tells you how the devil likes to gather sinners into one location and haunt, torture and kill them while in human form. You’re then slowly introduced to the five elevator riders and Detective Bowden, played by Chris Messina. As the story progresses you learn about each of the riders sin's, while Bowden puts together the reasons that each person could be either the killer or a target. But true to form, Shyamalan makes sure the facts are twisted and re-twisted so you have to figure it out all over again.
The constant twists and character connections are woven well, and you’re never given enough information to figure out the whole story, so there's always a bit of suspense. The film work is well done, especially considering the cramped quarters of the elevator shots. Director John Erick Dowdle really did amazing things with what he was given. Everything is well lit and many of the shots have you wondering what's just off screen.
As much as I'd like to say I loved this movie, there's just too much holding it back. The acting isn’t great, and aside from detective Bowden, none of the characters feel real. Consequently, Bowden’s fate is the only one that actually seems important. The others are all ridiculous caricatures that aren’t likable enough to root for. Also, many of the truly scary moments in this film are hindered by cheesy faces appearing out of nowhere and pitch-black darkness that lasts for too long. These gimmicky scenes stop the suspense dead in its tracks and make it ultimately forgettable.
"Devil" has some great shots and Shyamalan plans its twists and turns well, but the concept of the story is poor and the acting is even worse. While it isn’t a complete disaster like his last few, it isn’t the “Sixth Sense” either.
Writen By Chris
Edited By Aaron
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