Devil. Trust No One. ***

Halloween is just around the corner; so buckle up and prepare for a slew of horror reviews in the next few weeks on this website. If someone is looking for a movie to get them in the horror mood, Devil, is a great start. M. Night Shyamalan helped write and produce this film. People cringe at the sound of his name but I am actually a big fan of his work, most of his work. The two starter directors have a great deal of fun with this premise and these characters and the audience can definitely tell. Also Tak Fujimoto is behind the cinematography so this feels like one of Shyamalan's earlier works. One thing that he is good at, and what I truly appreciate about his films, the characters are front and center of the story. It's all about dialogue and what the characters are talking about and how they get to where they have to go, rather than special effects being events merely happening to them. This creates a connection from audience to character, thus, creating a bridge to the story. This story is well played, could be better written, but the actors all do a fine job with the material they are given.

The cast ensemble has a few new comers and some that can be recognized but the most notable cast member is Jenny O'Hara playing the old woman. She's a seasoned actress and has played some memorable supporting characters in her time, and she's at it yet again in this film. The premise of this movie is fantastic, it focuses on the devil himself and pulls a scripture that is sure to creep people out. Each character has a believability and uniqueness to them. The greatest part of the movie is the suspense and mystery. The directors and cinematographer use the atmosphere and mood so brilliantly, when events actually pan out and start to take place it's eerie and scary. Playing on the fear and paranoia of the claustrophobic elevator is also what this film continually does. Let me just say, whenever those elevator lights shut off, you will be holding the person next to you.

This movie didn't make the biggest splash in the pond. It set's out what it needs to do to be a creepy little monster movie. Opening up the dialogue and expanding on the depth of each character could've made this movie deeper and different. Instead, we learn how this characters act and relate through a cop telling us about them, almost like an informant. What makes this movie really special though is the plot of the main cop character played by Chris Messina. The whole message of the movie is important and wholesome. It believes in humanity and shows that in the face of the darkest evil from hell, humanity can really be good and faithful to God. This spiritual undertone is played throughout the whole movie with the faith believing security God who prays and knows what evil is lurking in that elevator. This main focus really saves the movie, in my opinion it really surprised me with how it played out, it gives it that little bit of depth that should've been in there sooner than the end.

The producers and scribes were trying to do a lot of things right in this film and some ideas missed the mark. But what we get is actually what we should expect from a movie like this. It's a dark claustrophobic thrill ride and every time those lights flicker, we are found praying to God to help us through to the other side.