One night whilst driving through the square in Jacksonville Alabama, I saw an old police car, trailers, spotlights, and loads of people filming The Devil All the Time (2020). It is nice to be near the ever-growing film hub of Atlanta, and I'm getting used to these headlines being from Rome, GA (featured in Remember the Titans, The Mule, Sweet Home Alabama, etc.). I had to see this Netflix movie. You'll be warned before spoilers.
🎬 STORY: Set after WWII, small-town life set in the hills can be quite sinister. A young man attempts to protect his loved ones from these forces.
Sometimes you need a warning before watching a movie when you don't know what to expect. This is one of those. The film will make you uncomfortable, and that's by design. The southern gothic genre is intriguing with much potential. For this picture, I watched it in a group. That's my suggestion for most people who choose to observe it. I promise it's easier, and you're going to want to discuss it afterward.
Let's start with the good. The main, #1, essential driving force of this movie is its stellar cast. Tom Holland highlights the list as our protagonist. Sometimes bad things keep happening and happening to decent people, and that's Hollands character Arvin. We witness him deal with several blows from the worst kinds of people. Another specific person I want to mention is Robert Pattinson (star of Christopher Nolan's Tenet and upcoming The Batman). He delivers every line with precision and in a rich southern accent. Holland and Pattinson are both British. I don't want to say much about Pattinson for fear of giving up spoilers, so pay attention each time he is on screen and predict his story.
Other great performances come from Bill Skarsgard, Sebastian Stan, Eliza Scanlen, Riley Keough, Harry Melling, and Jason Clarke.
The rural setting creates a sense of loneliness and helplessness for the viewer. Many of the deadly encounters happen out in the woods away from anybody else. In cities or even the suburbs, we can make a loud racket and get help. Here... there's nobody.
The cinematography and set design complement each other. Being in a different time period brings its challenges, and the crew met them well. For the camera work, their lingering shots were just long enough but not too drawn out either. I've seen many similar movies that don't know when to cut away.
The movie is far from perfect, however. I'll go into more specifics for those who've seen the movie later. For the rest, don't be surprised if you come away with a myriad of questions. Why are many of these sinister people the way they are? What's the message behind the movie? Is it we are all sinners? I'm still pondering these almost a week later. It hurts the score
Compared to other arthouse films in its genre, it's not great but it's too good to be bad. I think it's worth watching once especially if you're reading this near where it was filmed. My film rating is a C. DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!
Only one sinister character can I truly extend motive towards, and that's Sebastian Stan as Sheriff Lee Bodecker. We learned that his father left early giving him no male figure to look up to. He looks for power anywhere he can including from the badge and the mob. He likely felt helpless as a child, so he's extremely overcompensating. Also, family is family. His sister is killed, so he goes on a rampage.
The main motivation that's lacking comes from the preacher portrayed by Pattinson. Being bullied in school usually makes yourself a bully, not a sexual predator of underage girls. He grew up well, has a lovely wife, and went to college. Is it purely lust? That's not a satisfying reason. I wish we knew more considering how important his character was.
Also, the impact of the gunshot/death wore off quickly. It was effective early on when Roy killed his wife then was shot by the serial killer. However, the shock value diminished. The director wanted the "oh my" reaction every time, but that's not what happened. Towards the end, it was a little annoying to the point we had to think of who wasn't dead versus is.
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