A Brief Review: The Devil all the time

Welcome back to ‘A Brief Review’ a series of brief reviews on films from the present day and all the way back in time. Hoping to filter through the commotion and give some decent reviews of some rather decent films.

The Devil all the time is a Netflix original film that has burst onto the scene in the last week, becoming a huge talking point due to it is strong cast and surprisingly sinister themes, I’m sure this won’t be a Netflix original we forget about in a month’s time. The Devil all the time explores the lives of several people plagued by their own menacing acts, most of them fighting the devil within, whilst certain that they are serving god in good faith. The film keeps you on the hook throughout, pushing and pulling you away from the mesmerising performances thanks to the exceptional ensemble cast, it’s a real distinctive picture which will only serve to improve Antonio Campos’ image as a fresh director in the big screen sphere.

Robert Pattinson shines again as his image continues to rise, a petrifying preacher at the local church who has an uncompromised ability to manipulate younger members of the church through his charm and authority. Tom Holland is the standout performer as Alvin a younger member of the town who’s fractured childhood leaves him constantly on the run, supplying a fresh reminder that he is capable to step out of the spiderman suit and excel into the thriller genre. From Bill Skarsgard’s tremendous southern accent to Haley Bennett’s innocent beauty, The Devil all the time is a complex and layered drama that Netflix will be proud to present.

The film had real shades of the tv series True Detective in its uses of religion and rural America to delve into the ominous world of murder, corruption, and crime in an unassuming place. Also, important to mention that Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the producers which explains the dark undertones that dominate throughout. Gyllenhaal has portrayed many difficult and dark characters, most notably in Nightcrawler and you can see the shades of Gyllenhaal’s characters in each of the film’s leading figures. 

Small plot and script issues throughout are the only blemishes that I have discovered but I find it to be a strong film adaptation, with a refreshing use of time in a film well over 2 hours that doesn't feel too long.  The Devil all the time excels in most areas, from a deep and varied score to an elite cast, you will not be disappointed in lending 2 hours 18 minutes of your life to this one!

By no means an easy watch, but a film with cult classic vibes and a gratifying experience to be had for sure.

My Rating: 7.9/10