Hats off to the writer-director duo of Cameron and Colin Cairnes for delivering one of the most devilishly clever and effective horror movie premises you’ll see this year. The Australian siblings have brought together classic supernatural horror and the once popular found footage style to create “Late Night with the Devil”, a genuinely creepy and utterly absorbing high-concept chiller that gives a welcomed leading role to the always captivating David Dastmalchian.

Dastmalchian has always been a fascinating actor. Through the frequent use of leering eyes and an uncomfortable gait, he has made it easy to typecast him in odd and often unsettling roles. But doing so overlooks the impressive range and versatility that he possesses. And we see that truth on rich display in “Late Night with the Devil”, a movie that lets him tap into his well established strengths while also giving us something fresh and new.

Dastmalchian is terrific playing Jack Delroy, the television host of a 1970s nationally syndicated late-night variety show called Night Owls. Through opening narration by the immediately recognizable Michael Ironside, we’re told that Night Owls was a major network hit. Yet despite several years of success, Jack’s sense of fulfillment remained dampened by his inability to top Johnny Carson in the late-night ratings.

As the narrator continues, we learn that Night Owls started to hemorrhage viewers. With his ratings in a free fall and sponsors threatening to abandon his show, Jack began courting controversy through edgier content. And that leads to 1977 during the show’s sixth season. On Halloween night, Jack’s desperate attempt to turn his fortunes around resulted in a shocking and terrifying supernatural encounter broadcasted on live television.

A rediscovered master tape from that horrific night sets the framework for the sinister “Late Night with the Devil”. It’s an ingenious device that the Cairnes brothers utilize to near perfection, capturing a 70s aesthetic through brilliantly detailed production design from Otello Stolfo, Stephanie Hooke’s costumes, and the music of Glenn Richards. Anyone familiar with the variety and talk shows of the era will love the accuracy in the brothers’ recreation. And that accuracy is crucial. If we don’t buy into the setting we’re probably not going to buy into the supernatural chaos that follows.

But the genius of the framing goes beyond the aesthetic. It’s also in the narrative structure itself. After the table-setting narration, the story unfolds through raw footage of the actual live broadcast. During commercial breaks the camera gives us behind-the-scenes looks – following around the various characters and capturing their reactions and growing concerns. It works wonderfully.

As for those characters, the Cairnes’ create and develop a small but beguiling group starting with Jack. Dastmalchian commands every ounce of our attention through a masterful performance that anchors the entire movie. Not only will you never question his position as a seasoned television host, but you’ll never doubt the emotional conflict that drives so much of what his character does.

Also vital to the movie’s success are the supporting roles. There’s Gus (Rhys Auteri), Jack’s very own Ed McMahon-like sidekick. There’s the pompous Carmichael Haig (Ian Bliss), a former magician turned hardcore skeptic cast in the James Randi mold. And then there’s the mysterious (and kooky) medium named Christou (Fayssal Bazzi). But perhaps most fascinating is Dr. June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), a parapsychologist and author who’s on the show in support of the new book Conversations with the Devil. She brings her book’s subject, Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), the 13-year-old lone survivor of satanic suicide cult. What could go wrong?

It’s those latter two who lead to something no one is prepared for. Despite June’s warnings that Lilly is growing more unstable, the ratings-starved Jack pushes for a demonstration. The condescending Carmichael sees what follows as nothing more than a parlor trick. That is until they summon an evil that defies explanation and can’t be controlled. Soon they all find themselves trapped in this hellish nightmare with no sense of escape. And we feel trapped too – a testament to the film’s effectiveness.

The Cairnes’ love for genre filmmaking can be seen all throughout “Late Night with the Devil”. Countless pop culture nods, obvious horror movie homages, and some killer retro satire are a big part of the fun. But more seriously, the movie also speaks to the cravings for fame and the potential high price of success. It’s all wrapped up in a movie that simmers rather than burns – that is until the fierce and frightening final fifteen minutes which delivers the kind of fitting payoff we all were waiting for. “Late Night with the Devil” opens in theaters March 22nd.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS