Devil

Ask anybody in Hollywood what is the most profitable genre in the film business, and they will tell you it is horror movies. In fact, there’s been a 40% increase in the number of horror films produced over the last three years. Talk about a growth industry.

Horror films are the most unique type of entertainment that’s works these days. Why? Because it’s not star-based. Nobody cares who’s in the movie. Horror movies have their own following and fan base. What I find amazing is people who like horror movies don’t seem to care much about the storyline because it’s the same story except with different faces.

Another reason Hollywood loves horror movies is because they are inexpensive to make. For example, Lionsgate, seems to crank out one every other day. So you might ask why am I doing a review of a horror movie. Well, actually I found one that I like, and that’s not easy to do. It’s not often that you find a movie that is actually about something and says something important in the supernatural or horror genre, especially with a Biblical perspective. I would say this is unprecedented.

The movie I am referring to is Devil. It was released a few months ago and has recently found its way to DVD. The story came from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. We know him from big blockbusters such as The Sixth Sense, The Village, and Signs.

A student of mine told me that I should check out this film because it offered a different message than most supernatural thrillers. So I did. Devil absolutely surprised me. The movie makes you think not only about the existence of the devil but of the presence of God as well. Some critics say that M. Night Shyamalan has lost his creative focus, but I think he may have found it in Devil.

I cant’ go too much into detail without giving the story away. If you are familiar with M. Night Shyamalan, you know he always has a twist or two and a big surprise at the end of his movies. Devil is about five people who find themselves trapped in an elevator in a high rise building. They are all there for a reason. The real kicker is that one of them is actually the devil, and he is there to torment them and collect their souls because of their past unrepentant sin. Detective Bowden (Chris Messina) is called in to investigate. The narrator of the film is Ramirez, the security guard, played by Jacob Vargas. He understands what’s happening before anybody else can put the details together.

It’s quite a setup. From a Christian perspective, they don’t get everything right, but you’d be surprised what they actually do get right. Devil is a suspenseful and intense film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You are never really sure who the devil is. That’s what makes the movie highly interesting. Devil offers solid production values and good acting. And, frankly, everything works quite nicely.

If you have any interest in horror films, this is worth taking a look at. For those of you who are not fans of the genre but are looking for a movie that you can watch with nonbelievers, I highly recommend Devil.

This is the type of film that can spark an interesting dialogue and discussion. You will have plenty of material to work with. It’s amazing how many people are interested in the devil. I think that’s true because we know there’s real evil in the world. But perhaps one of the most comforting lines in the movie comes at the end as Ramirez says, “If the devil is real, then God must be real too.”