Devil - Grading & Discussion

[Agent Richard07]

Welcome to the grading & discussion thread for Devil.
[highlight]***SPOILERS AHEAD***[/highlight]

"A group of people, including a formerly
alcoholic homicide detective, trapped in
an elevator discover that one of them
is the devil. Written and produced by
M. Night Shyamalan." - MovieWeb

Official Website | Trailer | IMDb Page | Wikipedia Entry
Box Office Mojo Page | Rotten Tomatoes Page​

 

[RoJoHen]

Are people actually going to bother seeing this?

 

[T'Girl]

Maybe when it hits SyFy in four months, at two A.M.

 

[Shurik]

So, due his recent string of successes, M. Night had enough budget only to film in an elevator?

 

[JoeZhang]

Interestingly, in the UK they don't mention his name in any of the adverts.

My guess (so not a spoiler) - all of the people have done evil things and the Devil is coming to get them.

The fact that no critic reviews were allowed suggests that it's a stinker. The only review I saw said this:

If there’s anything less suspenseful in horror this year than watching reaction shots of someone watching a security camera recording I can’t think of what it would be.

http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/new...n-fails-clever-concept-of-devil#ixzz0zmV8W2GE

 

[Ethros]

It's only produced by MNS. I thought the trailer looked interesting enough, I'll go see it when I get chance on Monday. And unlike some, decide for myself

 

[Goliath]

^You rugged invidualist, you!

Ordinarily, I'd be all over a film like this. Just the title would be enough to draw me in. But Devil looks pretty bad. I don't know if I'm going to see it, or not.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I don't know how much input he had on the final film as the EP and story writer (but not the screenplay), but the opening lines from this TV ad are exactly the kind of cheesy yet pretentious dialogue he's been known for.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unN_4eC3I3c&feature=related[/yt]

It's supposed to be the first part of a trilogy about supernatural events in an urban setting, but if this has dismal box office I don't know if that will last. The second film is supposed to be sort of a supernatural 'Twelve Angry Men' and the third film is actually going to be adapted from the story idea for the sequel to 'Unbreakable,' which I would have loved to see years ago before Shyamalan embraced the suck.

 

[JoeZhang]

It's only produced by MNS. I thought the trailer looked interesting enough, I'll go see it when I get chance on Monday. And unlike some, decide for myself

Written as well I believe.

 

[SinglePurpose]

It's only produced by MNS. I thought the trailer looked interesting enough, I'll go see it when I get chance on Monday. And unlike some, decide for myself

Written as well I believe.

He has a story credit on the film. The screenplay was written by someone else.

 

[PsychoPere]

He has a story credit on the film. The screenplay was written by someone else.

Indeed. Screenplay by Brian Nelson and directed by John Dowdle.

I probably won't get around to seeing it while it's still in theaters, simply due to the number of other films currently out and coming very soon that I want to see, but I do plan on checking it out at some point when it hits home video.

 

[scnj]

I saw it, and quite enjoyed it. Probably about a 6/10

 

[RoJoHen]

I saw it, and quite enjoyed it. Probably about a 6/10

In my school, that would be a D.

 

[Silvercrest]

My guess (so not a spoiler) - all of the people have done evil things and the Devil is coming to get them.

Can't he just claim them after they die? That's the usual method. Does he have to intervene because otherwise they'll somehow escape him? Seriously, what would be the point?

Not to say you're wrong. Actually it sounds appropriate for Hollywood.

Only...

 

[scnj]

Well, I call 5 as average, so slightly above average.

 

[Myasishchev]

My guess (so not a spoiler) - all of the people have done evil things and the Devil is coming to get them.

Can't he just claim them after they die? That's the usual method. Does he have to intervene because otherwise they'll somehow escape him? Seriously, what would be the point?

They could become good, if given the chance to live. Or, if you're into that sort of thing, "form a personal relationship with Christ" and all that nonsense. Although you'd think being confronted with the Devil would be the quickest way possible to convince someone to sincerely pray to Jesus.

I hope some folks watch this. I'm really interested in seeing the reactions to this film, but not nearly as interested in actually forming any opinion of my own, for obvious reasons.

Well, at least until the inevitable Rifftrax is out.

 

[Trekker4747]

The movie wasn't screened for critics which by itself speaks volumes. Some of the reviews that've came out online over the last few hours have not been promising. This is one I wanted[/ I] to go see out of morbid curiosity and because it looked interesting and M.Night's involvement in it is actually fairly little all things considered. Still. Out of morbid curiosity I also want to try electrified nipple clamps. So...

 

[Silvercrest]

My guess (so not a spoiler) - all of the people have done evil things and the Devil is coming to get them.

Can't he just claim them after they die? That's the usual method. Does he have to intervene because otherwise they'll somehow escape him? Seriously, what would be the point?

They could become good, if given the chance to live. Or, if you're into that sort of thing, "form a personal relationship with Christ" and all that nonsense.

I'm embarrassed. Those are supposed to be the beliefs I subscribe to, and I didn't think about that! Too busy being snarky and cynical, I guess.

Although you'd think being confronted with the Devil would be the quickest way possible to convince someone to sincerely pray to Jesus.

Ah yes, the old "foxhole conversion."

Really though, I think I'm still trying to figure out what the nature of Hell and the Devil are supposed to be in an essentially atheistic Hollywood. Faith or salvation don't seem to play much part in it. Here we have a Devil who's apparently allowed to manifest himself in an elevator and... do whatever it is he's going to do. So why doesn't he just hang around permanently? I'd bet money this movie doesn't show a God or Jesus that's stopping him. And I'd bet double that anyone in the movie who actually does pray to Jesus will be shown up as a buffoon, or die a horrible death, or both.

In the Hellraiser movies, you've got a Hell that doesn't appear to be a normal afterlife at all, but it's still populated by immortal beings who traffic in immortal souls. And they'll take anyone they can get their hands ... err, chains on, not just the condemned. Does that mean they have the power to waylay someone from the afterlife they were meant for?

In Drag Me To Hell, you've got a gypsy woman with the power to curse someone to the traditional hell, in retaliation for a comparatively minor offense. So let me get this straight: she can exercise eternal judgement over someone else's soul for no real cause? How is it that she's not ruling the world?

I wouldn't presume to ask what the rules are in these movies, or get someone to explain the inconsistencies. I'm just trying to understand the mindset and world-view that comes up with this stuff.

 

[Mr Light]

BTW, the wikipedia page has a huge spoiler right in the cast list. Don't look at it if you wanna see the movie unspoiled.

 

[Nowhere Man]

What gets me is M. Night is clearly talented and creative and original in many ways. It's a shame the he continues to pump out crap. I haven't seen this movie so I can't judge, but I don't understand how that happens. Lennon and Mcartney did the same thing in their solo careers, not all of the time, but a lot more than you would expect from such talented people. The thing is it;s not like he's that old and i'm sure he's given decent budgets, so i'm lost.