Devil's playground....

I had a weekend movie session with my cousins yesterday. We watched the recently released thriller film "Devil" directed by John Erick Dowdle the man behind of another horror film the "Quarantine". Based on a story by M. Night Shaymalan.

After receiving a negative critical reception for the movie "Avatar: The Last Airbender." M. Night Shaymalan released the first of his "The Night Chronicles" trilogy. Sources said that Shaymalan acknowledged that the story's basic was based on Agatha Christie's 939 novel "And Then There Were None". Basically with similar plot, a Devil takes a human form in a group of people with guilty pasts trapped in an isolated location and begins to die one by one.

The movie is not that scary as you might think though the movie poster seem to promise one.(see picture inset). In fact, my cousins and I had a little fun in the guessing game of who would be the devil in the group. Each of us had their own pick and some didn't even have a choice. They say it's not in human form perhaps it's a spirit or just a voice tempting a person to do his devil's work. (ok then, we'll see) While all have no clue, there's one thing I notice that is really quite unusual. All characters in the elevator have red in common. Signs? Of what?

Now here we go again with M. Night Shaymalan twisted plots.

The reel kicks off with a worker committing suicide by jumping off from a building. It was narrated by "Ramirez"(Jacob Vargas) a building security guard who told by his mother that when a Devil roams on earth and it always begins with a suicide. Now I remember the scene as well in the "Constantine" were "Rachel Weiz" twin sister committed a suicide announcing the devils arrival.

Then we have five (who I suppose are damned sinners) individuals entering the skyscrapers in downtown Philadelphia. Completing the cast, an old woman, a young married woman, a young man, a man with a suit and a security guard. We also have "Ramirez" who seems to have this "sixth sense" and Chris Messina as Det. Bowden who is in recovery process after the tragedy of losing his wife and child from a hit-and-run. The elevator breaks down trapping the five of them and the puzzles of the story begins. Tragic things started to happen in the elevator whenever the light goes out.  Ramirez then sees signs, the devils face etched into surveillance footage. Things get escalated when one by one started to die and with one suspicious of the other. The detective did a background check of the trapped people. Bowden now know the fact that all the people inside are not saintly by any stretch, one of them is much more annoying and troublesome than the others but one has to be ascertain before you conclude whose responsible of the killing. But later compelled as he had no choice but to buy Ramirez superstitious theory. (Well, you've have to get something to believe in if such weird shit happening right?). Thus he was however advised by Ramirez that they can't do anything to stop the devil.

 

Photo inset courtesy of link. The chose five

And the final plot twist, with one person left the devil is reveals himself. (No I'm not going to tell who the devil is, just see the film yourself)

In the end, the good triumphs as the person left righteously admitted his sins and ask for forgiveness. It turned to be that he/she is the one responsible for the hit-and-run death of Detective Bowden's wife and child. There was a note left in the scene of the accident back then “I’m so sorry”. Then there goes the devil fleeing somehow frustrated as he was not able to take the tormented soul.


The contrives of the film though is everybody seem to be calm for entirely a long period of time. I can't seem to feel any sense of urgency in the part of the authorities. (Perhaps it was how the characters were played). But in such situation where people start dying you'll be perhaps in a panic mode to get these people out of the stalled lift rather than watching them in agony through surveillance camera. The rescue effort was just given less emphasis.

And for the characters, why do we have such annoying individuals, a salesman refuses to be searched upon entering the build premise? What is he hiding? And no logical reason behind why the young woman is so trustful with the security guard? And why there always a racist in the group? Now to the devils plot, is this just a random collection of souls? Not all trapped are that bad, surely they have suspicious pasts but they are not that sinful or wicked. I'd be more compelled if the collection of people are pedophiles, rapists and serial killers. Now that would surely complete the play of the Devil’s game.

The premise is not special or original. The plot is quite simple, sinners in torment desperately fighting for their lives and souls while God and the Devil fighting over their tortured souls, as the Devil seeks ways to lure people away from God and into Hell. While these are typical but still can be enticing if adapted well in a movie. The reel somehow brought us with some thrills and chills, an ample fear for those who are not really into a gore and horror movie. The "Devil" is not outstanding but ain't that bad, and for the makers but they were all to get job done incisively and economically. It should be as there is no simpler than a compact room such as elevator(Now I’ve read that they were able to gain back the entire production budget on it first week release, LOL). But still this not at par to “The sixth Sense and Unbreakable”

And the moral? It preaches us about guilt, punishment, redemption from sin, forgiveness and salvation.

And as always in all M. Night Shaymalan movies, the good triumphs over evil. We'll be also looking forward for his next two installments of this trilogy that would surely bring us more twisted schemes and plots from the director's twisted mind(kidding).