The film is based on the script of Shyamallan, shot not by Shyamallan, but with Shyamallan in one of the main roles. Unlike the future fantasies of a famous Hindu-American, the Devil does not contain as many internal contradictions as the same Knock in the hut. The film is chamber, shot interestingly, there are no extra characters, in suspense, it is interesting to find out what (although, rather how) will go wrong. There is almost no outright idiocy to promote the plot. There's no moral. For 2010, this movie could have been something new.
The devil is a pragmatic creature. He is sorry to waste time, and if he punishes sinners, then in large numbers. The idea of getting a few scoundrels together and heating it up with a twist of who did it is not new - remember at least Agatha Christie. Many people compare “The Devil” with “Ten Negroes”, but I would also remember the “Mousetrap” of the aforementioned author, where a group of people suddenly find themselves trapped in a certain trap, from which not everyone is destined to get out alive, and the stressful situation is aggravated by adverse weather conditions. All this resembles a three-layer cake, where the background lies at the base, action develops in the middle, and on top - an obligatory morality that holds the first two layers together.
The subject of otherworldly forces is Shyamalan's horse. He is a master at creating an inexplicably disturbing atmosphere in the frame - and in a variety of locations. Sometimes these locations are very ordinary, everyday and completely devoid of pathos – for example, a house or an elevator cabin. Something is about to happen, terrible and irreparable. But this would not have happened if the universal balance between good and evil had not been broken. One of the topics that Shyamalan is always interested in is is it possible to return to normal with such a imbalance?
And here it is, the eternal dilemma: who is worse, the devil or man? After all, the devil can only tempt and push, and the last step always remains with man himself.
I can’t say that I was completely enthusiastic about The Devil, this is not the most catchy picture where Shyamalan was involved in one or another persona (in this case he is only a producer), but the linkage of several storylines converging at the same point succeeded. And if we assume that in the “Devil” Shyamalan acted not as an artist, but rather as a craftsman, then the craft turned out to be quite good.
The narrator of the film mentions that his mother said that if there is a devil, then there is one who is his opposite. That is why there is the freedom of man to choose between these two entities. Without false pathos, we all have to make this choice at some point in our lives. May the power be with us, therefore, to be steady and consistent in our choice.
They say the devil wears Prada. What else can the devil wear, see in the film of the same name, produced by M. Night Shyamalan.
7 out of 10
When the devil comes, everything goes wrong. Even the sandwich falls butter down, says the security guard. As proof, he takes his partner's sandwich and throws it. Oh, and really.
The partner is outraged, but they are both again distracted by what is happening on the monitor screen.
Well, what can happen in a stuck elevator business center with five passengers?
Something is definitely happening. Unexplained.
This is the plot of the film “The Devil” according to the plot of M. Night Shyamalan.
I will try without spoilers, so I will say that I liked the film.
Over the course of the film, we learn that the five people stuck in the elevator are full of vices, each their own. But these vices of life, or something. Heroes are not absolutely terrible, you can empathize with them.
You can only find out if there is a devil in the elevator by watching the movie. Honestly, I had a guess, but for sure I was not sure.
This and other Shyamalan films I like the slowness and consistency of the narrative. There is no such thing that the initial credits have not yet ended, and you have already learned half the life of the main character.
I liked the dialogue: easy hints, and you already understand the unsaid.
I recommend the film to watch if you want a slow, but not stretched movie, with a mystery when you learn just enough about each character to begin to assume his further actions. And then you learn something else, and you assume something different.
9 out of 10
If you are already aware of your actions, then half the battle is with you, but to win and become truly free, you need to believe in something greater than yourself.
I don’t like movies that happen in limited locations. If earlier such projects were rare, now every second student of the film school is trying to prove to everyone that without huge budgets, expensive scenery, etc. you can shoot a masterpiece. Such films are rare, and they can be counted on the fingers. However, there are also good works, not masterpieces, of course, in which the locations are limited to one room. The Devil is one of those movies.
A group of people accidentally get stuck in a skyscraper elevator. While the workers are trying to fix the malfunction, the security service is watching everything that happens in the elevator through the camera. Over time, everyone realizes that the devil himself is among them.
Oddly enough, but the film attracted me not even a synopsis, but a modest timekeeping. It is now rare to see a movie less than 2 hours long. Less than an hour and a half. I was interested in what kind of story they managed to cram into 80 minutes. Especially horror.
The plot is like a stick. In one of the skyscrapers, several people get stuck in the elevator. While trying to rescue the passengers of the elevator begin to die strange deaths. What could be easier? One location, several people. I've already prepared to listen to long, boring dialogue throughout the film, but no. Of course, dialogue is a large part of this project, but it turns out that there are also screamers, and even some kind of action.
Without a long swing, the plot takes over and from the very first minutes captures the audience’s attention. It is still unclear what will happen next and what to expect. After a certain amount of time, the first death occurs. The detective mode is immediately activated. The viewer begins to sort through in his head what it could be and who is to blame. And so on until the end. I really liked that the genre of horror was added to the detective, because personally I am interested in solving such mysteries. Maybe such a mixture of genres harms the film, after all, these are horrors and their task is to frighten the audience, not to make them solve puzzles, but here we got a competent balance.
Even if you open and see the cast, these names will not say anything. Director John Eric Doudle did not invite famous Hollywood figures to the film, but limited himself to actors who usually play third-plan roles in the film. Apparently, to keep the intrigue and put the audience at a dead end. Well, that scheme worked. Caste played his roles so convincingly that I never solved the main mystery.
What are the visual effects of a movie that takes place in a 2-by-3-meter elevator? I was really surprised to learn that this movie has a bigger budget than all of James Wan’s horror films combined. I did not notice any computer special effects, but saw only the simplest makeup, as well as competent editing. And ten million dollars were spent on that? Really?
As always, I wonder if this movie will scare anyone. Definitely not. I chose a very simple format. Of course, there are a couple of screeners (unexpected appearances in front of the camera), but I think even the most impressionable people will not succumb to such a primitive.
I liked the idea. And here's the implementation. In principle, not bad, but with one small mark - nothing to compare. The idea is original, and I have not seen a similar movie yet. Since this is exclusive, I will make the review positive.
Overall, the film is watchable. It should be understood that this is absolutely pop Hollywood product , stuffed with (templates) with classical techniques and classic, completely identical, characters. It combines religious and mystical horror, a classic detective a la “10 Negroes” and a thriller with a good suspense. The thriller prevails and only successfully demonstrates itself. The rest of the components – detective (in second place) and horror (third place – it is quite a bit here) – lame. On both legs.
I can't call this movie a good movie for several reasons.
1) Even before the elevator doors closed, I immediately said to myself: if the Devil is not a spoiler, I would be very surprised and give the film a top score. Unfortunately, I was surprised only by the presentation (I was almost hopeful, because I did not expect such obvious ideological plagiarism). Having at the disposal of the abstract, anyone who is well acquainted with the laws of the detective genre will already sketch out a couple of guesses. Well, seeing the existing characters, immediately calculate the punisher. In other words, no matter how anyone tries to flirt with Agatha Christie, the Queen of the Detective will always prove that she cannot be outplayed.
2 The ending of the film is dissonant with the beginning and climax. We have some nannies who did not decorate this picture at all, and even spoiled it. In general, there are many questions about the religious component, but these are probably questions about religion, not about the film.
3 A completely unnecessary line (or rather, a couple of sentences) about the current personal life of a truly cartoon detective. His tragic story is – again – to put it mildly – not decorated at all.
4 The question remains. Why would the Devil invent a legend for himself and so ingeniously? I think that's a bit of a nitpicker, though. Asking the question “why?” in horror movies is almost a moveton.
5 And finally: if the filmmakers hint that their creation is more religious than mystical, then there must be some logic (even a curve) and justice in their story. So what do we have? A couple of random victims, a couple of victims with a stigma in the cannon and one lucky one, because of which the whole coven is gathered. Apparently, the Devil screwed up. First, such transgressions look more like “doubtful reputation” than those sins for which people should be mortified in this strange way (pity them all). Secondly, if you dig deep into the biographies of the “innocent victims” who stood in the way of the Devil, maybe we will find something similar in them, too. It is probably not for us to judge the severity of sins – the devil, as we know, is in the details – but the viewer remains open to the question: why are these people? Is there only 4 sinners in the entire skyscraper? What is this devil's lottery? It would be more effective to drive several thousand sinners into the stadium at once and, so to speak, solve them all in one fell swoop. And then every time you shoot yourself in front of people because of some pathetic four losers?
As for the thriller to the Devil, there are no claims. The music, the tension of the situation, the fascinating narrative, a couple of original moves (I really liked the “trick” with unclosed eyes) – everything is there. Despite the fact that the Devil’s face was already solved by me, it was still interesting to watch – it was curious how events would unfold and what else the Devil would throw out. So, somehow, but the film justified the time spent on it.
Summary: Those who want blood, chilling mysticism or terrible creatures and scarecrows have absolutely nothing to catch. Even I – a man completely unsophisticated in the genre of horror – all these two and a half techniques have already seen somewhere and more than once. Oh, my God, all those eye color tricks are as old as the world! The Devil himself did not impress with appearance, logic of actions, or speech. Al Pacino is still king, as is the movie The Devil's Advocate.
Real connoisseurs of a detective with experience, in general, there is also nowhere to break the brain. If you’re new to the genre (especially if you haven’t read 10 Negroes), I think you’ll like it. Although elements of mysticism always spoil classic detective stories, it is better to look at something else. For example, the same “mind hunters”.
But fans of intense entertaining thrillers without much logic and meaning – the very same. You can see it all.
P.S. When the devil curses with the word "shit," it's funny.
“If you are already aware of your actions, half the battle is with you, but to win and become truly free, you must believe in something greater than yourself.”
For a long time I wanted to see this movie, because they talked about it a lot and a lot of it is positive. I didn’t like the idea of a film in a closed elevator, but I knew I had to see it. Today we are going to talk about the devil.
We will evaluate by such criteria as the plot, acting and soundtrack, as well as touch on the important criterion for horror atmosphere and a little about the Devil himself. Now you can move on to the review itself.
Plot: Here we are told about a company of people who are stuck in an elevator, but not alone. At the same time, these people have something in common, namely a rich, not very positive biography. In general, the film from the first minutes attracts attention with its unusual idea. The storyline itself is very unusual, very atypical, which even has some kind of morality. I honestly thought it would be very boring to watch, but the elevator, but the crowd of people, but the Devil and what next? However, I was surprised that everything was very dynamic and tense. To be honest, I was sure from the start who the Devil was, and it all fell under my hypothesis, but at the end I was just shocked, to say the least. So everything turned upside down in my head. In addition, there are many sharp moments in the plot that create a kind of panic inside you. These moments also cause some kind of excitement inside you. You're trying to guess who the Devil is, waiting for a moment to make sure. That is, during the entire storyline, you are not bored, but are completely immersed in this story. You can clearly feel the elements of the detective and thriller. It is very interesting and interesting to watch.
Actors in this film deserve special attention. During the story narrative, the image of each hero is fully revealed, for this it is worth paying tribute to the writers and director. In this regard, they are real personalities who guide the viewer to themselves. Don’t underestimate the actors themselves, their performance was at the highest level. The emotions of fear, pain, anger were all at the highest level, which caused a certain realism and contributed to an even greater immersion in this universe. Thus, good work was worked out here by both the writers and the actors themselves. If you go through the names themselves, you won’t notice anyone, except Chris Messina, who played the role of Detective Bowden. He is best known for his role as Victor Zas of the recently released Birds of Prey: The Amazing Story of Harley Quinn. We can also mention Bojana Novakovic, who played the role of a young woman. She can also be known for her role as Erica in Birds of Prey: The amazing story of Harley Quinn. Other names will not say anything to anyone, so if you watch a movie based on the actors who starred in the film, then this film work will not attract you.
Soundtrack: The musical accompaniment of the film cannot be said to be right at the top level. There are some melodies, but they do not particularly affect the general perception as a whole, so it is impossible to say anything about them.
Atmosphere and the Devil: The atmosphere of the film is really made at a decent level. I have repeatedly stressed that it is not completely clear what will happen. You wake up excitement, as if you are watching a real detective, whose indication in genres is completely justified. The detective component is really very strong, without the slightest exaggeration. It also feels good suspense, that is, the thriller component is also made at a high level. The atmosphere itself also conveys this closed space. In short, the atmosphere in the film is truly terrifying. Plus, a good plot and good acting, which directly also affect the atmosphere. As far as the Devil is concerned, I assure you he is the best Devil in the movies and TV shows I have seen. Here we understand all his motives, all his goals, his actions. You really know who the devil is and what he can do. I couldn’t walk away from the devil for more than an hour. That’s a big plus for the movie.
Thus, “The Devil” is a very worthy horror film, with elements of a thriller and a detective. I’m really sorry that I missed this movie for so long, but I finally saw it. It really has everything that should be in a decent horror movie. Here, in addition to the horror that occurs on your screens, there is an excellent detective story, along with worthy of the highest praise of the acting. I recommend watching it because it’s an original movie I’ve never seen before. Fans of the genre should definitely like it, and neutral viewers in principle too. In the end, I just want to add one thing, plus to everything I’ve listed before, “The Devil” can make particularly impressionable viewers think about something. I really liked it, I didn’t expect it.
A rare film of this genre. Almost without special effects, but the suspense very reliably keeps the viewer from the first frames to the very end.
The soundtrack of Fernando Velázquez takes the viewer by the throat immediately and without ceremony. It's a tough muson.
The script makes the action on the screen very unpredictable. There is no guarantee of what will happen next. It is difficult to call the plot twisted, but for some reason he does not let go. With a minimum of special effects, the authors manage to tell the story of each of the main characters very consistently and clearly. And you get excited about what happens on the screen regularly. But the blood doesn't bleed too much. That is, there is a lot of it, but not too much pressure on the psyche is not the sight of blood and wounds, but the action and events on the screen.
A very successful find with an inverted city. The viewer immediately feels himself in a mirror.
The mystical component also does not whip over the edge. The devil here is very modest, and the worse he is. The film is imbued with a Christian worldview, but it is not obtrusively submitted by the authors. There is no preaching or fanaticism.
Selection of actors at the proper level. There are no stars. But there are very good and professional actors. They do their job well without overlap, without pathos.
In general, the entire film is reliably, confidently and soundly frightened by all the ways available to modern cinema. No tantrums, but scary. Carefully and timely touch, then for akorophobia, then for claustrophobia, then for Satanophobia.
The colors in the film are dull, but I wouldn’t call it gloomy. It's a thunderstorm. The sky was full of lead and then the sun came out again. Evil doesn't last forever.
The devil is among us, the devil in men themselves.
I can attribute this film to the genre of a mystical thriller, there is really a lot of mystical in this film, especially all the events practically take place in an elevator with the participation of 5 people. As the film reveals the identity of each of those in the elevator, no one is without sin, each has its own “skeletons in the closet”, you understand that they all happened to be in the same elevator. The emotions of the characters are quite natural and natural, the atmosphere of the film is well maintained, despite the actions in a very confined space, the intrigue of the film persists until the last moment, the task of the film is very simple, but the solution is very difficult, the fears and insecurity of the characters who were in the elevator are felt.
I would like to separately note Chris Messina, who played a detective, throughout the situation he managed to maintain restraint and common sense, and the final made him a little stupor and very surprised, the finale pointed to what so tormented him for several years in a row.
Logan Marshall-Green, who played a mechanic who was going to an interview. His situation is twofold, on the one hand, he is the cleanest of all those gathered in the elevator, on the other hand, what he did in the past by ridiculous chance will not go unpunished. In the end, all this is shown.
As a result, evil and bad enough in people without the presence of the devil, people themselves eat each other with their self-interest, anger, deception and lies. But if there is a devil, then God exists, good ultimately conquers evil.
“The Devil” is a very high-quality atmospheric film, which in an hour and a little tells the whole story of what is happening on a small budget.
8 out of 10
First of all, interest in this film arises from the fact that the author of the idea in this case was M. Knight Shyamalan, who is a great specialist in the mystical genre. And although his directorial career is developing extremely unevenly, this does not prevent fans of the genre from expecting his new projects with great interest, so it happened this time. Grand success did not work, although the tape and collected a large cash register. Reviews and reviews were very different, from total negativity to praise. In my opinion, the tape was very interesting.
It will be obvious to most viewers that there is nothing original about the film. The plot construction was taken from the works of Agatha Christie, who is rightfully considered one of the main authors of detective prose. In fact, these are the same "Ten Negroes", but in a mystical wrapper. This is a chamber mystical thriller - a detective with elements of a horror film. Almost all the action takes place in the elevator of an office building, in which five strangers and dissimilar people are stuck. Soon we begin to realize that all this did not happen by chance and one of them is not who he claims to be. Unfortunately, the title of the film a little kills the intrigue, which nevertheless holds the attention of the audience until the very end.
The main theme of the film is very simple. It is a parable of human sins and their atonement. The film has a strong religious context. Each character has his skeletons in the closet, and each will be rewarded according to his deeds. We see a detective investigation conducted by strangers in order to identify a mysterious passenger. And although it will not be difficult to reveal the identity of the villain for a sophisticated viewer, watching the tape from this is no less interesting. Along the way, dramatic lines unfold, but too superficial to be taken seriously.
Among the advantages should be noted well-built suspense and excellent play of nerves. Excellent visualization and competent camera work allow you to create the necessary atmosphere. The director lacks experience, and therefore he sometimes uses primitive artistic techniques to scare an impressionable audience. But in general, the picture follows the canons of the mystical genre.
You won’t see any famous actors here. Serious drama is also not expected. If in the place of little-known actors performers of a higher level, then empathy for the heroes would be much stronger. However, the actors try and play at a good level. They were able to show the types of their heroes. Whether it is a greedy heiress, the seller is a fraud or a military man with a difficult past.
The Devil is an atmospheric, tense mystical thriller - a detective with strong intrigue. The picture is shot in chamber style. The closed space is designed to convey to the viewer the claustrophobic mood of the tape and it copes with this perfectly. It is unlikely that this work will be a discovery for you, but fans of the genre will like it.
6 out of 10
Well, old Devil is getting old now. Apparently, on the eve of the Apocalypse, God decided to send the master of Hell to correct sinners. Recently, a lot of pictures have been made on this topic. One of them is this one. And in it, the omnipotent and eternal Evil, God’s supostat is sent – this is a shame! – only because of one sinner in one of the thousand skyscrapers of the vast United States. One wonders why the Devil had to play with 4 jerks in a stuck elevator just to remind one of what he once did? It seems that the Devil is now progressing to Alzheimer's. Yes, He was more interested in the audience: personally he put me to sleep in the middle of the film, I woke up when already ... however, it will be a spoiler.
What is this movie about? From the dusty shelves, a religious-mystical theme of the Donner pozhiva, already littered up to huge holes, was taken out. Then R. Castañeda quickly smacked of a very interesting idea of people stuck in the elevator and ... got as a result of pure marasmus. One wonders why all this was necessary, to scare the believing idiots in the semi-dark halls? In fact, only this can scare them. A children's, battered tale about Boogieman living in an elevator shaft. Abuse of people who got there is not motivated by anything. It's too stupid even for the Devil. Throughout the film, He only played with the light, well, once smiled at the camera to a sloppy guard. That's all the "infernal horror." To somehow keep the viewer, the creators came up with a mystery: guess who is the Devil. Just like Agatha Christie. And the choice was small: a Negro guard, some buff-eyed, crooked carpet salesman, a strange-looking unshaven young man (as soon as he was let in?), a very attractive girl and a grandmother. Guessing who the devil is will be hard. And when the secret is revealed, a normal person will laugh. Especially when the Devil, having fulfilled his mission, "flies away", showing a big fig of all the police.
In religious and mystical terms, the movie has already worked, the topic is irrelevant. There is nothing new to come up with, everything is mothballed and worn out, so the Devil just asks to leave him, finally, in peace, to release him on a well-deserved pension, and not to chase through skyscrapers to punish sinners.
The movie, frankly, is about nothing. There was no horror or thriller. If you want to watch a thriller with people stuck in the elevator, I highly recommend Fatal Choice. He really did, because he's real, devoid of religious nonsense.
Sinners are not a place in the lift, as well as in the world
Many of my friends and acquaintances know how much I love horror movies. Even in my childhood (I was probably about 5-7 years old), my parents borrowed a horizontal video player from their neighbors, decided to watch a video game with their relatives. There were unknown cassettes with two cool (as it turned out in the end) films Terminator and Alien, after watching which I could not fall asleep, and my parents had to sit with me in the bedroom for midnight. Since then, as a schoolboy, I have been hunting horror movies with a local party of my peers. So, as a child, I watched almost all the cult horrors of the type Evil Dead Sam Raimi, Nightmare on Elm Street Wes Craven, Demons Dario Argento, Night of DemonsTenney, It, Night of Scaremonger, Children of Corn, etc. I have read almost all of Stephen King’s children’s horror books (and not just his children’s books). Since then, I’ve been a fan of all the mentally unstable evil on the screen. Since then, I have loved this genre in most cases. Since then, blood and guts have been my everything?? And if the film is filled with excellent dramaturgy, thoughtful plot and psychological component (as, for example, in The Shining Kubrick), then generally super, ecstasy! Unfortunately, there are very few really good, atmospheric, scary horror films. As with all cinematography, there is a terrible crisis of ideas. Not the point.
Sometimes good stories are released periodically. The mystical thriller The Devil with a rather uncomplicated plot about the one who decided to punish a group of sinners stuck in an elevator, the devil in human form. Simple, but sometimes scary, sometimes exciting detective component, the film draws attention to the scene - who, ever stuck in the four walls of an elevator, will understand me. It is this circumstance that makes the picture chamber, tangible to the nerves and making fidget at every change of suspicion of the characters.
7 out of 10
And minus one point for (spoiler!) dying offscreen characters.
Once in the elevator stuck 5 strangers, an old lady of God dandelion, a pretty girl, a security guard, a worker and a white collar. But suddenly the elevator closed and strange things began to happen.
I’ve seen the movie before and didn’t understand it. But recently I had the opportunity to review the film, and I looked at it with completely different eyes. It's not a bad idea to bring the Devil into the metropolis and bring him together with locals who have no conscience or morals. But from here comes the claim to the film, the people stuck with him in the elevator, were ordinary scammers, and what happened to them in the future was too cruel.
Like horror, the film is also weak, as there are no scary moments, everything is predictable to the smallest detail. There is no tension and atmosphere of fear (the Supernatural series is much scarier).
But as a drama, the film certainly wins. The storyline gave them the opportunity to open up to the fullest, and they succeeded. They were able to express a whole bunch of emotions, from fear and dislike, to hysteria and horror. The actors looked very convincing and bright, but the most expressive character I thought was the detective investigating the incident and the guy of a hard worker stuck in the elevator.
But at the same time, the film looks good as a detective, it is interesting to watch a detective who tries to help the heroes. I also liked the idea of a Latino security guard who is a believer and who has helped the detective and the heroes a lot. And of course, the film, I remember from the musical accompaniment, you rarely see a film with good music.
Verdict, a good mystical film with excellent acting, which does not reach an excellent level, only because it lacks an atmosphere of horror and a fairly predictable outcome.
7 out of 10
The Devil is an interesting and truly intriguing film. We even began to bet on which of them is the devil. But no matter how we guess and no matter what logical conclusions we make, the result is one – it is impossible to guess in whom the devil is sitting, because he is omnipresent and any of the others could be him at some particular moment. This does not mean that the devil is represented in the film as a substance that wanders from body to body, it is not. He does not need it at all, because each of us sometimes awakens his own devil, and so it happened with the main characters of the film. One by one, in an enclosed space, they began to manifest their essence and let out their devil.
Due to the small space and limited number of participants, the events unfold quickly and dynamically, for this special thanks. While watching, it is unlikely that anyone will be bored. In the film, one tragedy follows another and each of them says something. Everything is interconnected with each other and this adds even more questions, the answers to which you will not be presented on a platter, these answers you will look for yourself.
The ending of the film was both satisfying and disappointing. Of course, I would like to see retribution, if not in the next world, at least in this. But human forgiveness is able to fight with the devil himself, and primarily with the inner. Forgiveness played a crucial role in this struggle. It was not without losses, otherwise it would not be a horror movie, but a drama. Still, I wanted something more. The subject of the devil is not fully disclosed.
As a result, I emphasize that the film is worthy and worth watching. Its dynamics and twisted plot pleases, intriguing and does not allow you to fall asleep while watching. The ending is a bit disappointing, but it's a great ride for the nervous system anyway.
I often came across this film on different sites and forums, but never reached the hand to see it and now, finally, I watched it.
At first, I thought it was an average, supposedly horror movie, but in fact, it is very narrative, interesting and philosophical.
It seems like an ordinary weekday, an ordinary office building of a large corporation and ordinary people stuck in an elevator, everything is so mundane that it seems boring, but then you realize that every person stuck in this elevator, and even those who were watching them at this moment, was also not by chance. I don’t believe in accidents at all, it seems to me that everything that happens has been laid down in our fate for a long time and if it happened to us, then it should have been so.
In this movie, it seems like everything happens in the same place, but every minute you worry and think, “Who’s the devil?” And it seems that now everything will be revealed and you will be right, but... a wreck... and you realize how primitive you think. Time passes and by the end of the film you are already in suspense, what will happen next and here... what you did not even expect...
In general, guys, safely watch this picture, not only that you will not regret it, but also will be under a huge impression of what you saw, you may even think about certain situations in your life!
9 out of 10
1. The plot is quite interesting and at the same time characteristic of films for a confined space. Five people get stuck in an elevator and after a few minutes realize that one of them is the devil. Until the very last moment, you start thinking about one and then the other and try to be logical, like the policeman in the movie. But -- it wasn't here! (2)
2. Actors are not acting. Not bad Chris Messina playing a cop. It's not bad about emotionality. As always, the ferocious and brutal Buken Wutbine. Well, does not fail in the role of one of the main characters Marshall-Green. (1)
3. The musical accompaniment is quite interesting. Throughout the film, there is an emotional tension that is achieved, including music, as befits classic thrillers! (1)
4. There are practically no visual effects in the film, except for various kinds of bloody damage to each of the participants in the imprisonment. (0)
5. The morals of the film, unfortunately, as in all horror films, almost no. The only thing I can learn is to believe in the supernatural. (0)
It just so happens that for a long time man has sought to personalize the abstract concept of evil. In Christian culture, the main source of this phenomenon are fallen angels led by Lucifer, also known as Satan or the Devil. But to give a name to evil does not mean to understand its nature and motives, so it is human nature to personalize the personification of evil in order to endow it with simple and understandable motives. Goethe’s “Faust,” Mark Twain’s “Mysterious Stranger,” Mikhail Bulgakov’s “Master and Margarita” – all of them were in some way engaged in this vestment of a blurred concept into a concrete image. After all, only the unknown inspires horror, and the fact that p about is understood - with this you can agree.
Hollywood's "Golden Boy" caramel-colored M. Night Shyamalan made a name on thrillers based on his own scripts, in which the idea means more implementation. And if the audience and critics accepted his first films favorably, then soon both the author’s style of slow storytelling for the sake of a spectacular ending became boring. It’s not that movies stopped paying off, it’s just that they didn’t pay more than ten times as much as they did with the first successful Sixth Sense, and sometimes they just covered the costs. Then the producers thought that the “golden boy” was a bronze fake and took his camera, cap and folding chair with the inscription “Director”. However, writing scripts and establishing relationships for the production of films, he was still not forbidden. And his first painting, which he did not put himself, was “The Devil”.
It's not always sunny in Philadelphia. It was cloudy that day. Rain was about to fall from the sky, but a man fell. That's where it all started. On the investigation of the pranks of gravity, a depressive detective came forward, who became on the one hand the hero of history, and on the other hand an involuntary witness. An abbreviated version of Lady Agatha’s politically incorrect account gathered five far from sinless individuals in an enclosed space several times smaller than the Negro Island. Then the intrigue begins: who will live to the final and what, in fact, happens. To the credit of the director and screenwriters, the plot balances on the verge between the criminal and mystical component, allowing you to indulge in guesswork almost to the very end.
In the course of the case, the detective (and with him the viewer) slowly learns (inadvertently, casually, not too obsessing and delving into the details) a brief description of each of the prisoners of the elevator. None of them is sinless, and each will be rewarded according to his deeds. But the essence of the story is not retribution, but vice versa. Does the one who does not atone for guilt, but repents of what he has done, even with a noose around his neck, deserve forgiveness? Is there something in everyone that is called conscience? Without platitudes like “revenge is meaningless”, the authors in a frankly entertaining form talk about serious things, but not directly, in the forehead, but on an illustrative example. The film does not tell about the fall of each character, without going beyond the time frame of one gloomy day, all participants have already entered the elevator cabin with their skeletons in the closet and we, like the detective, are not given to learn about the reasons. We can only obtain a biographical certificate and observe the consequences of long-gone cases. As one character put it, “They were brought here by their choices.” Only one thing is clear: the moral compass of each of them is turned upside down, like a panorama opening the film.
On the other hand, such a detached approach prevents and empathize with the characters, in particular, the same detective, who also has a drama in his personal file. The viewer watches him as helplessly as he watches those locked in the elevator, and also receives strictly dosed portions of information about the past and present of the hero, sometimes a little clumsy and inappropriate. But everything, as is usually the case with Shyamalan, is subordinated to the idea and works to reveal the author’s intention: evil comes from people themselves, and does not come to them from outside. And the climactic intensity of passions, bringing together the storylines, helps to understand (and someone to feel) the catharsis of the characters.
And what is important is that there are no long muddles, unnecessary, allegedly penetrating monologues, obvious moralizing. Just a story told from beginning to end, and the viewer has to think about it on his own.
8 out of 10
Contemporary cinema has reached the point where when you start another film (especially the horror genre), you do not expect to see something new and truly brilliant. Gone are the days of Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. That’s where the plot, the characters, the story, lame, but for that time amazing shooting. And then efforts were made to scare the viewer (atmosphericity, sounds, or bloody scenes, whatever).
What do you need for a horror movie right now? Camera, actors with mediocre appearance and a banalized story. People in an enclosed space? And one killer? Hmm. The freshness of the Alpine Mountains is straight.
I don’t know, everything in this movie is wrong. The actors seem to be good, but they do not believe, the plot seems to be there, but he is so beaten... There are attempts to scare the viewer, but already on the second blackout, this blinker began to bother. The devil was supposed to torture his victims, but as such, I did not notice the torture. People were dying and the rest were just getting more and more nervous. At the same time, I did not notice any mental anguish or physical. And sticking a mirror in the neck already, sorry, you will not surprise anyone.
The only thing I cannot and do not want to find fault with is the initial shooting of the city and the landscapes. They are really good: the blackening sky above the skyscrapers of a large city, there is a kind of romance in this.
2 out of 10
To the Temple of God or to the Elevator of Hell? ?
The desire to get stuck in the elevator under normal circumstances will not arise a single sane person, except that you go with a pleasant cheerful girl who will gladly take the opportunity to meet. But, if you get stuck in the elevator will have in a warm, but unfamiliar company, then get ready and be patient, mobile in the elevator often do not work. No matter how prepared you are for an unforeseen long-term stop in the elevator, and no matter what you do in the same elevator, the one who often thinks of you may already be there.
Screenwriter Brian Nelson, who wanted to make a trilogy about the supernatural within the framework of modern urban society, began decisively, and from the very beginning of the film, an office building worker makes his flight from the floor of a skyscraper. Detective Bowden (Chris Messina) arrives at the place of the “landing”, who immediately draws attention to the fact that something is not quite so with the fragments from the car on which the employee fell. Ramirez, who works in the security service of the building, believes his mother's stories about the Devil, the harbinger of whose appearance is a suicide. In the building from which the worker jumped, five American citizens who have full constitutional right to use the elevator gather in the elevator, regardless of which direction the elevator goes. In the elevator are preparing to go black Ben (Bukham Woodby), an elderly woman (Jenny O Haara), Vince (Jeffy Arend) – a mattress salesman, Tony (Logan Marshall-Green) – a former mechanic and Sarah (Bojana Novakovic) – a greedy heiress of the state, heading to a lawyer. During the movement of the elevator, with the latter there are failures in its proper operation, manifested in the flickering of light or its complete attenuation for a short time, during which there is an inconspicuous attack on Sarah. Further, the course of events in the elevator is only gaining momentum and even people begin to die.
John Eric Doudle’s directing work has some peculiarities and features, namely the use of an enclosed space, in this picture – an elevator, for an interesting and dangerous realization of a death scenario that, as Ramirez seems, is written and directed by the Devil himself. Let the elevator and small scale for the potential of the angel of death, but still he harvested his crop not by chance. Far from the first work on the development of events in a confined space, as before, arouses interest and let there be motivation and intentions of the Devil to kill everyone without exception, at the moment he lurks in the body of the person who bit Sarah. This “bearer of good pain” can be anyone, and the task of detective Bowden to find the killer.
Why is the viewer so attracted to the seemingly battered killer theme among others? Even with relatively small budgets of paintings, interest in them not only does not fall, but also noticeably warms up. What could be new about this? And nothing new is necessary when a standard and proven way to create a movie-mystery is used. It would seem that everything is in sight, and the killer acts unexpectedly and imperceptibly for all participants in the deadly selection. Yes, what can we say about the participants, if the viewer himself sits until the last moment, randomly picking over the candidate as a scoundrel. The most obvious and similar film is recalled from Soviet childhood - "Ten Negroes" or as you can now pronounce "Ten Little African Americans", where the killer was among the convicts. We met with a similar mystery in the movie “Exam”, but in this tape we guessed and did not guess the winner of the casting or competitive selection for a prestigious job. Most recently released “Air Marshal” again about the enclosed space of the plane, where the killer went even further and insolently commits murder, substituting the main character under suspicion.
And let horror movies teach little, and let them be created only to tickle the viewer’s nerves, let the essence not be that. The main thing in this horror is not morality, although it could be laid out if not for the risk of a spoiler. Not all this is secondary, but the main thing is the direct participation of the viewer in the search for the main culprit of events, and this transforms the passively bored viewer into an active seeker of truth.
The devil is here, the devil is there.
Life is like a dream - a complete deception.
(Corrosion of metal)
"Damn rolling at night, sparkling ..." - yes, these are lines from Russian thrash metal. The lights fit a bit with our tape as well. There was a light in the elevator. More specifically, blinking. He also turned off. And when it turned on, of the stuck people, quietly but deliberately turned by the scriptwriters into victims, someone found his death, and the prisoners of the elevator, respectively, found the corpse of the poor lad. That's how I was told about this movie. Maybe not word for word, not letter for letter, but...
What's the matter? Modestly, cheaply, but... (but again) but I missed my favorite genre. And similar (s) genre / genres are for me the most native. I don't even know why. Here, I love thrillers, I love mystics, even boiling water ... (well, let’s not talk about it). And at the same time, despite the simplicity of the plot and the excessive airiness of the script, in contrast, I state: This film does not need a complex constructive core. This is the case when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Let’s remember what movies were like before! “The Devil” is something of a longing for them. “Hello to that time, so to speak.”
I also love movies about closed spaces. This is another fetish, if you will. "Phone booth", "Cube" (all parts), "Saw" (again the whole franchise, even in absentia). "Devil" and here, as they say, and our, and your friend. Well, that's me, yes, for a bunch of words. Some of you may not be happy...
The cast is largely unknown to me. Only Jenny O’Hare has ever seen anything. But that doesn’t detract from everyone else’s game.
But by and large (final verdict), I can't melt into a sea of compliments. I also noticed that the film was very popular. So in the game “Guess the movie” it often falls out. But despite all the favorable factors, I conclude: The film is weak. They won't. Not finished. And so, the final score is not so high...
I put it up for the night looking and I must say, I felt the taste of childhood when I was scared of such films to nightmares. I am no longer a child, but Shyamalan tried his best.
Despite the short duration of the film, its essence is absolutely revealed and understandable. The speed struck me. Well traced storyline and philosophical component ... What if it really exists? And much closer than we thought...? I’m going to sit on the door to the room so that something doesn’t come out.
The cast was also pleased. They played 5+, but I haven’t seen anyone else before. The atmosphere itself is oppressive in some places, all overflowing with mysticism and some animal fear of an unknown and powerful force. The ending is unexpected, which undoubtedly adds a few balls to the film.
In my opinion, the film turned out to be excellent and I will probably add it to the list of favorites, because I really liked how it was made and again I could not fully solve the end.
Solid
The Devil is an interesting film that made me think for a second. If there are bad people, they should be punished for what they have done. Only those who confess and repent of what they have done can receive a less painful path of punishment.
The film tells about five people who are not similar or related to each other. Except for one... They have done everything, or are still doing something bad and terrible, for which they must be punished. An elderly woman, a young girl, a mattress salesman, a claustrophobic security guard and a mechanic were stuck in the elevator. Something strange is happening in the elevator. Every time the lights go off in the elevator, one of the five dies. Then they realize that the devil himself is among them!!
I personally liked this movie very much. It is impossible to predict who will be next. You just know someone's playing a double game as soon as they get killed. Very interesting thriller. It can be watched without fear of any sharp streams of blood or severed body parts, as in other American films. I love it when a film strikes you not with a spectacle, blood and horror, but with a highly thought-out and gripping script.
There's only one downside: I don't know why this was suicide at the beginning of the movie. Did he realize the devil came and jumped off the window? How could he land in a completely different place during the flight? I don't get it. But I liked the movie anyway.
This happens quite rarely, but it has been proven that even with a small amount of budget, very interesting projects are obtained. And even if there are no beautiful special effects and actors of world magnitude, but an interesting plot, fear overtaken by the viewer and a well-created atmosphere of the film easily replace the above details. Also with a painting called “The Devil.” It does not offer to watch the confrontation between good and evil, but instead put the characters of the picture in the elevator.
As you know, if you put a few people in a confined space, sooner or later they twitch. And if we also consider that the situation in the elevator is controlled by the devil in human form, then the deaths among innocent people can not be avoided. And the contingent was not the best. Among people there is a new security guard who came to replace, an intrigue who can persuade anyone to commit an unpleasant act, a nervous grandmother and further in the same spirit. That same monster, who was in the elevator with the others, specifically worsens the situation, periodically cutting off electricity and doing other things to harm people, or just to get them mad and start throwing themselves at each other. But so that the plot does not make the viewer bored, we are also offered to watch the work of a police officer with a very unhappy past. And the policeman, by the way, very well fits into the action of the picture and later becomes its integral part, in some places even managing to catch up with the mystical atmosphere and a little fear on the viewer.
Each of the heroes proved themselves worthy. Very skillfully and unobtrusively, we are offered to determine the devil by the actions of the heroes. In the first minutes of an unpleasant situation, when the victims are locked in this box, the behavior of one of the actors suggests that it was not so difficult to calculate the devil or it is only a guess, because the creators of the picture could not take such a stupid step and feed us this monster in the first minutes of the tragic situation. And then you start to follow the actions of each of the victims, but when in the elevator when the lights are turned off, there are incredible murders in their structure, then the viewer himself begins to unwittingly get confused in his thoughts.
The atmosphere is perfectly maintained. Although there are a lot of questions about the situation and the location of the execution. Why the elevator? But we could talk about this topic for a long time, but the creators still had the right to choose. After all, there is no need to be upset, because, we got a very high-quality and capable of scaring many people, and moreover, make you think about some things, the film. And what is left to thank the creators of this mystical picture, is for the ending. Not only does it simply to some extent excite the mind and force you to look at some things from a different angle, but also something happens that very few people expected.
9 out of 10
- What are you doing? - I want to close her eyes - you can't until the body's cold.
It's good. No really I don't want to write about him that he amazed me like it was with "There's Someone Down There Loves Me" not that it struck me but the movie is really damn good. I don’t know if I’ll ever write this in reviews, but now I’ll write this film.
I immediately warn you that this is not a psychological-psychedelic thriller and this is not even a stop-and-go horror and certainly not a slasher. Absolutely not. It's just a very well-shot and well-directed thriller. I would describe it as mystical.
Here all the tension of the plot of the game actors quality shooting the presence of some deep meaning does not burden and even on the contrary saturates the film. I have nothing to criticize this picture for. No truth. Blood? It wouldn't do any good. Make the story more intense? In any case, if it was still a little bent, it could be broken. I have nothing bad to say. The only thing I can only briefly tell the story I hope you will see the film and understand why I can’t but definitely do not want to talk about the film bad.
So the plot. Five people get stuck in a skyscraper elevator. Five people. A guard, a woman in years, a dapper man in a suit, an unpoorly-dressed girl and a young guy. All attempts to activate the elevator are unsuccessful. For two minutes, the lights turn off and in the cabin instead of five people are four people and the corpse of one of the former five. And it looks like someone in the elevator is a killer. But there is a catch all five experienced scoundrels and sinners and one of them is not just a murderer and the devil himself came down to bear punishment.
10 out of 10
Getting stuck in an elevator is not an easy task. Who's that again? You can get stuck in an elevator with a nice stranger, and then we have the same perspective. You can get stuck with some maniac, then the prospects are very different. You can get stuck in fun company. There will be someone to talk to, and maybe there will be a nice stranger in the company. Maybe the devil will be there too.
Great movie. Pretty clever, every death here is explained, helplessness of people is striking, and the end is quite logical. And the idea of a "small space" and even without light is just amazing! It is unlikely that after leaving the cinema, someone will want to ride the elevator.
And the actors quite well coped with the task. Fear, even insanity, distrust of everyone is well read on everyone’s faces. There is not a single big name. Well, except that the name Naita Shyamalan (and then he is not the director). His hand in the film can be seen with the naked eye. Suicide, the idea of the elevator, all these deaths, and the connection of the policeman to all this happening. All according to Shyamalanski, I would say.
Beautiful and universal cinema. You can watch on the big screen and at home, and in large company and together. I'm sure you'll like it!
P.S. The trailer's good! This cry: “Switch on the light!” has long been imprinted in my memory!
8 out of 10
It is very interesting to see God and the devil in the movies. The devil and his servants are always portrayed as a child, a harmless old age, or simply as a good and beloved person. God and angels are portrayed as mad, detached, immoral people or cruel, unscrupulous cynics! It's funny, isn't it? I often hear people say that God is cruel, but I have never heard of the devil.
The film begins with a short story about how the devil likes to visit the earth and take away the damned souls before they die! As the story progresses, we are transported to a cafe where Detective Bowden talks to a psychologist about pain and forgiveness. Five years ago, his wife and child were killed in a car accident. The perpetrator fled the scene, leaving only a note that read: Sorry. In this life, detective Bowden holds only hope to meet the killer. Not everything in life can be forgiven, says Bowden.
At this time, in a tall building on the contrary, four people enter the elevator. They do not yet know that the elevator will take them directly to hell, led by the devil himself, embodied in one of them. Detective Bowden will be drawn into this diabolical game.
The movie doesn’t make for an interesting movie! Perhaps because the moment of repentance of the soul speaking to the Devil was shown to be ridiculous and rustic. The ending of the film was completely broken. The feeling that the filmmakers had to do everything as soon as possible and somewhere there to run on their own business. Oh, sorry!
6 out of 10
The movie “The Devil” is quite an interesting sight, especially for fans of hermetic thrillers. Imagine the situation: you are stuck in an elevator with a small handful of people, including a man possessed by the Devil himself. That's just how to figure it out. The plot is interesting, exciting, taking the viewer by the breasts and holding at the screen, but the ending failed: it turned out too crumpled, unfinished and a little predictable.
The film is not particularly scary, rather intriguing. You're not afraid of him, you're trying to figure out who's here with the surprise inside. Each character is quite well spelled out, each prisoner of the elevator has its own vivid story, and each of them with their skeletons in the closet.
It is worth saying that Shyamalan always makes ambiguous films. In this case also: like everything in their places, filmed well, the actors played decently, but something does not allow to give this picture a high rating – this is a strong similarity with the “Cube”, and strange for this situation the behavior of some characters. In general, seven, ladies and gentlemen, and not a point more, because the film of course turned out to be good, recommended for viewing, but somehow does not crawl to the masterpiece, and hardly anyone will ever review it.
An exemplary example of a high-quality mystical thriller.
Recently, I almost did not pay attention to the mystical thrillers that were released in the rental period from 2010 to the present day, since I believed that directors would not be able to come up with anything interesting in this genre, and I did not want to see the boring plagiarism. “The Devil” completely destroyed my stereotypes.
First of all, it should be noted that the “Devil” is devoid of tightness, which has already become a familiar attribute of paintings of this genre. The action develops quickly, without swinging and does not reduce them for a minute. From similar pictures immediately recalls the old Soviet detective “10 Negroes”, shot on the novel of the same name by Agatha Christie, where the events also take place in an isolated place, and the perpetrator is one of the victims. Only here Lucifer himself acts as a criminal, which certainly makes the atmosphere of the film even more oppressive.
Victims are selected very skillfully: a half-crazy old woman, a ferocious guard, an instigator girl, an annoying chatterbox and a mysterious mechanic. Each of them keeps a secret, and find out who is responsible for all the troubles.
The main advantage of this picture is its ending, filled with deep meaning.
Having acquired a strange habit of watching horror movies at night, you begin to be afraid of the most seemingly insignificant little things. Rumbling, creaking, any strange sound seems to be some sinister sign, and after watching this movie, the fear of everything that surrounds you rises to a special, unprecedented level. After viewing, you realize that this creature is difficult to call the Devil. Personally, for some reason, I want to call it a kind of retribution.
In my opinion, the genre of this film can not be called monosyllabic. This is certainly not an ordinary horror. Thank God it’s not a meat grinder – I hate movies like that. I would call it a beautiful scary detective with elements of fiction and serious drama.
The plot is incredibly thoughtful. In the course of the film, I changed my answer many times to the main question: “Who is the devil?” Oddly enough, I managed to get as close as possible to the solution. Naturally, I will not reveal all the secrets - all the savor of this film in 80-minute "guessing".
In my opinion, it would be much more spectacular if there were 7 people stuck in the elevator, the seven symbolizing the 7 deadly sins. But shooting as many as 7 people in the elevator would be problematic, probably.
Those who are looking for thrills – the movie is a must see! Indeed, a very tense, intriguing movie, of course, not for the faint of heart. Actor's game is quite good, music frightening, and this is the main thing in this genre.
There is an opinion that a really good horror film should not have a hint of a happy ending. Is it scary if someone is saved? In this case, I cannot agree with this statement. The ending seemed appropriate to me, even for someone and snotty. The punishment was not for those who repented, but only for the brave man who was able to accept his punishment, even after a while.
Don’t look at this movie as a stupid horror movie. Personally, I saw in it a deep hidden meaning and an important call.
Have you thought about your actions?
The title and description of the film intrigued me and I decided to watch it. But I didn’t have much hope for a film with such a tempting but banal title. And I was wrong – yet despite so many films with similar themes, this movie is not lost in the shadows.
The plot is very interesting: people who find themselves in a confined space are fighting for survival, they are covered by panic and fear. In addition to survival, they need to identify the criminal. But who is he? An old woman, a security guard, a mattress freak, a wealthy girl or an Afghan? Suspicion falls on everyone, and as we know from the title of the film, some of them are possessed by the devil. I don’t want to be in that elevator.
I can’t say that the actors are “you”, but with their work they coped quite well.
The ending is unusual and unexpected, it is striking how famously twisted the plot.
Decently filmed.
But there is also the Supreme Court, the viceroys of debauchery, there is God’s judgment!!! He's waiting...
Strangely, in this film, the devil is the supreme judge.
How many times have I refused to read the synopsis? So it happened with the “Devil”, I many times paid attention to this film, but after reading the description, I was afraid to see another “destination Point”, leaving only due to its nausea and designed for a certain viewer. “The Devil” was a pleasant surprise to me.
Five strangers are stuck in the elevator of the business center, a slight panic, irritation, distrust of each other and attempts to find the guilty, stupid quarrels, then the lights go out and He comes.
Why were these people there, what awaits them and will anyone remain alive?
Usually the devil is a serpent temptor who makes us go against our own conscience, principles and morals when a person sins, they say he is possessed by the devil, but is it true? Or maybe a person makes his own choice and no one pushes him to it, just sooner or later the time of reckoning will come. For the five people in the elevator, it seems that the hour has come, and since in their lives they diligently violated the commandments, their soul certainly does not belong to God, and its new master came for her. Here the Devil is the Supreme Judge, the sentence is pronounced and not subject to appeal, for all but one ... he still has a chance to save his soul.
I was really pleased with this film: the plot, the idea, the director, the actors: Chris Messina, as a detective, was very impressed with me, and I still remember such a natural unfictional religiosity in the eyes of one of the dispatchers.
It is very difficult to make a film, the action of which is limited by space and circle of faces, and at the same time not to lose the attention of the viewer, the creators of the Devil managed to do it completely. Not for a second did I get distracted from watching this movie, for an hour or so it completely took over my thoughts and emotions. No unnecessary fuss and protractedness, no unnecessary hero, no unnecessary dialogue - all in moderation. And for me personally, a huge plus is the absence of rivers of blood, an abundance of human organs, and protracted murder processes, which is typical of modern horror films, everything happened behind the curtain down, it was just dark, and there was no doubt what exactly happened. It was these scenes that delighted me with their delicacy.
In the end, the creators gave us a great gift: they gave us hope ... that still can be corrected, you just need to forgive and just repent.
10 out of 10