Released March 22, ‘Late Night With the Devil’ became a big hit with genre fans who praised it for being ‘refreshing’, ‘delightfully dark’ and reviving the oversaturated possession movie clan. However, the success has been constrained by mixed reactions to the use of AI, as seen in a few of the film’s sequences.
How ‘Late Night With the Devil’ Uses AI
The independent indie film – led by David Dastmalchian, explores a found footage talk show episode on Halloween 1977. Hosted by eager presenter Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), he invites a reportedly possessed girl onto the program in an attempt to boost ratings.
With an estimated budget of $2 hundred million, the film managed to make just over $9 million in its third week. While it’s rare for an indie film to get such recognition, some of the buzz has been mixed. The AI-generated images in contention play as interstitials in the film’s fictional live TV show broadcast. Amongst them is an illustration of a skeleton dancing in a pumpkin patch and the “We’ll be right back” intermissions.
Audience Reactions
The conversation surrounding the inclusion of AI was first spurred on by Letterboxd user, ‘based gizmo,’ who wrote, “Listen. There’s AI all over this in the cutaways and ‘we’ll be right back’ network messages. For this reason, I can’t enjoy the amazing performances and clever ending.
It actually feels insulting when that skeleton message shows up repeatedly, like the filmmakers don’t give a shit and want to let you know that you’ll accept blatant AI in your 70s period piece. Don’t let this be the start of accepting this shit in your entertainment.“
This started a conversation surrounding the moralities of using AI with some hailing the indie film for its otherwise practical effects and originality. Feeling it unjust to hold the hard efforts of the production team at fault for the confirmed three uses of AI. Film critic Eric Sneider pointed out that ‘Late Night with the Devil’ was made in 2022 before AI became an issue at the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Others started a boycott with many claiming they refuse to see the film due to its use of AI:
Creator Responses
Australian directing duo and writers, Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes, responded to the allegations in a Variety statement, “In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film.“
Lead actor, David Dastmalchian addressed the issue in a Zoom interview with Journalist Kevin McCarthy. He said, “It’s something we’ve learned so much about in the last few years. I stand by the brothers [Directors] and what they said. The only thing that makes me sad is we had such an awesome graphics design team, and all these artists who were working on making this film so perfect, so it makes me sad that this is a story that’s getting attention, but I get it.”
He continued, “I completely stand by this movie as a thoroughly original piece of work. So many man-hours went into this incredible artistic craftsmanship of building this set, building this world. It’s an important conversation. We gotta have it.“
Film Industry’s Relationship With AI
‘Late Night with the Devil’s use of AI is the latest in a developing trend of TV and films using AI imagery. Earlier in 2024, watchers critiqued True Detective: Night Country for background posters that appeared to be AI-generated. Last year, Marvel’s Secret Invasion mini-series used AI to create its opening credits.
This comes in the aftermath of the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strikes. Which saw the unions fight for residual payments and protections against AI in fears it could replace industry professionals. Lasting 118 days, the strike saw an agreement between studios for better working conditions and pay. However, many problems still remain. ‘Late Night With the Devil’s use of AI may not be huge but subtle allowances could start a worrying trend for the industry.
- The film is currently still being shown in cinemas, so check it out if the trailer piques your interest. Maybe you’ll find out which side of the fence you lie on.
