What is Devil? It's a new movie directed by the Dowdle Brothers (the skillful Quarantine) with a script by Brian Nelson (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy) from a story by M. Night Shyamalan (uh... well, you know). It is also the coolest high concept I've heard in a long time. The plot of the Shyamalan-produced project was tightly under wraps, but some online sleuthing by Slashfilm this weekend uncovered some hints, including possibly the greatest log line of all time.The logline: "A group of people are trapped in an elevator, and one of them is the devil."
Right off the bat I should say that I have an almost irrational affection for movies that take Satan seriously as a walking, talking character. (As opposed to a tormenting spirit a la The Exorcist, which is also cool, but a whole different animal.) When The Devil's Advocate came out, I was obsessed with it for months. And I always find myself willing to tolerate a lot of crap from movies like End of Days for the same reason. My biases also include a love for claustrophobic little thrillers with a psychological bent. (This one almost sounds like something dreamed up by David Mamet.) And have I mentioned that getting stuck in an elevator is a long-standing phobia of mine?
I'm also a Shyamalan apologist, and his involvement in this isn't surprising: like all of his films, Devil is conceptually brilliant. It's the execution that's in question. The linked Slashfilm post reveals a few more details, none of them as interesting as that ridiculously beguiling conceit, which might be a bad sign.
Oh, and pop quiz: given what you know about Shyamalan's propensity for twist endings, and his approach to faith and spirituality, any guesses as to who else might be in that elevator?
1. I'm a Shyamalan apologist too, and I totally agree–his basic ideas are always great. This one is no exception, and as for the execution, remember: Shyamalan isn't directing or even writing. He's hired, as you mentioned, Brian Nelson (who's 'Hard Candy' and '30 Days of Night' are both gruesomely engaging) and the Dowdle Brothers (who's Quarantine, while not particularly engaging, in my opinion, was more than a tad competent in the directing department) to make the movie. I think that this may very well be the beginning of a comeback for Shyamalan–not only is he hiring out his ideas and projects to others, but he's also tackling entirely new genres (The Last Airbender), as he branches out and gets out of his comfort zone. I liked The Happening and even Lady in the Water more than person probably has any right to, but I'm more than willing to admit their faults. I think Shyamalan deserves a lot of credit for sucking it up and going with some new, risky approaches. Here's hoping it pays off.
Posted at 3:36PM on Oct 18th 2009 by Ben