How much does Hollywood cost? The theme of this incredibly powerful found-footage horror film from directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes is the allure of celebrity and the extreme measures people will go to in order to obtain or hold it. It’s a portrayal of avarice and potential demonology in late-night television, kind of like a cross between Network and The Exorcist.
After a protracted preamble, it is established that David Dastmalchian’s character, Jack Delroy, has nearly reached the summit of the late-night talk-show hierarchy but is now starting to decline in the ratings. He transforms a Halloween broadcast into a parade of purported paranormal encounters, increasingly utilizing controversy to boost his ratings, but discovers more than he bargained for among his guests. This is the long-lost recording of that program, and at the conclusion, it becomes evident why it would have been hidden away—ideally, on some kind of sacred land, surrounded by crucifixes.
This is a genuinely terrifying triumph that has echoes of both Friedkin’s horror classic and the true sadness of 2016’s Christine.
Dastmalchian has a history of being cast in spooky roles, such as The Dark Knight and Ant-Man (where he plays a goth even though it’s a good movie). However, in this role, he plays a convincing aw-shucks Midwestern charmer—the kind of kind and gentle kidder that American audiences might actually invite over for dinner every night. However, his history of villainy raises a metaphysical question of whether he has gone too far in his ambitions to take on Johnny Carson. He appears steady but on the verge of collapse when compared to Ian Bliss’s skeptic and Laura Gordon’s cautious but desperate psychiatrist. As the teen brought into the show who is said to be possessed, Ingrid Torelli likewise performs amazing work, making eye contact with the camera for far longer than is comfortable.
The format’s limits are evident when you occasionally wonder who was filming and why during the muffled chats backstage during commercial breaks. Furthermore, given its apparently excellent replication of the 1970s talk-show environment, the admission that the film borrowed AI art for its TV show’s intertitles is disappointing. The preamble is also overly explanatory, giving away the film’s hand to further developments. Other than that, though, this is a very frightening success that is reminiscent of both Friedkin’s horror classic and the true sorrow of 2016’s Christine. The Cairnes do a remarkable job of creating and maintaining tension, which finally explodes in a graphic but rewarding finale.