Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

The Devil All The Time 

This film is amazingly well acted and gripping! This film has me feeling very mixed thoughts on the overall film. This is a very bleak tale about murder, betrayal and corruption that has a very devilish tone that draws the audience in the moment it starts. the films cast is what keeps the film intact as Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson deliver amazing performances that is some of the best work they have ever done. The films plot is engaging but I will say that the pacing definitely had problems in some places as this is a two hour and eighteen minute film that easily could of been an hour and forty five minutes. But the story’s engaging characters and memorable performances are the reason to stay. 

Firstly, Let’s discuss the problems I had first as the flaws I had with this film were not major but definitely at points distracted me Enough that it took me out of the film a few times. The pacing of the film as I wrote already is two hours and eighteen minutes long and now I don’t mind a slow burn film at all but if I start to really feel the film should speed up that’s never a good sign. Theirs a good chunk of scenes that either could of been trimmed shorter or cut out completely as I get the need to build the connection to the characters and establish backstory but the backstory of the main character we follow goes on far longer then it should have. As we see him as a young kid all the way up to his early twenties and so the entire part of him as a child is almost an hour long and it was great backstory for sure but i felt it could of been way shorter then it was because the film really starts getting interesting when we see Tom Holland after that the film doesn’t let up but before that happens the film has a very slow start that felt a bit overlong setting up the events that are about to unfold. Because the films story is very engaging but all the overlong set up dose slow down the pacing and engagement of the story for sure and so that’s a big issue I had was the overlong set up that in result made the film feel longer then it’s actually runtime. That being said their also were parts that I did like that they should of explored more compared to some of the other stuff they stretched out with other characters. As theirs for example this girl and guy who meet at a diner and get  married but we never see that relationship really built it cuts to them having a child in the next scene so stuff like that should of been stretched out more because then I’d have more of a emotional attachment to the events that would happen later. As they focused on the wrong moments to explain more of instead of building a more stronger connection for the audience to have with the characters that mattered most. So those are my big takeaways in terms of flaws is the at times snail pace, underdeveloped characters and unnecessary moments that could of been trimmed for a more tighter runtime. 

Secondly, The thing though that saves this film is the sheer incredible performances from everyone involved. The film is jam packed with terrific performances from Sebastian Stan who plays this crooked cop that’s heart is in the right place but is constantly doing shady things to get ahead but try’s to keep his head in the right place. Turning in a performance that is emotionally pulled back but still incredibly compelling. Then theirs Bill Skarsgard who plays a smaller role then I expected but for the screen time he does have he delivers this dark and depressing performance of a father that is constantly conflicted within himself and his moral judgment and it’s a performance that has Bill explore some very dark places he hasn’t gone before as an actor that was truly incredible to witness him unfold onscreen. Then theirs also the two big standouts in my opinion which is Robert Pattinson who delivers another outstanding performance in this very cruel and devilish character that he soaks up so well and commands the screen in such a emotionally charged way. The second stand out is the incredible Tom Holland who proves to the world he’s more then just your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man as he really comes into his own with a performance that is unlike anything we’ve seen from him ever. It’s truly one of his best performances if not his best he’s given so far as it’s so full of depth and heartbreaking emotion that he brings a brutal truth to onscreen. Everyone else all give tremendous work from people like Jason Clarke and so many others all on top of their game. The story is greatly engaging don’t get me wrong but it’s the performances from the entire cast that is the number one reason to see this film as everyone big or small give outstanding work and some of the actors giving some of the best works of their career. 

Lastly, The Devil All The Time is a dive into the heart of darkness and deals with very unsettling images at times. The sheer brutal nature of death, corruption and the strong relationship between man and god is powerfully told from Antonio Campos in this sinister web of darkness. Despite its flaws the film holds together from its compelling story at hand and truly extraordinary performances from its cast. The Devil All The Time is a film that is brutal, well acted, heartbreaking and a film I’d recommend people go check out. 

This film revolves around a group of people who’s lives all intertwine and cross with one another by the brutality of death, corruption and betrayal that circles around them

Rated R : Violence and Bloody Images Graphic Nudity Sex-Related Content and Language

Tom Holland : Holland delivers a performance unlike anything he’s given onscreen before. Tom Holland as everyone knows is most well known for his turn as Spider-Man in the Marvel films and it’s been a great fit for film no doubt. That being said it’s also only made people see him as Peter Parker and nothing else and he’s done great work outside of the Marvel films before with films like The Lost City Of Z and The Impossible so he has proven he can Expand his range as an actor. But what’s different with his work in this film unlike the other two films I just mentioned is here he gets probably the most amount of layers to really explore emotionally unlike he’s done in the past. Because we see him go through so much over the course of the film and it’s a great way for us the audience to see Holland explore some very deep and dark places emotionally he has never gone before. As he plays this very hardened emotional character that’s been put through the ringer of life witnessing some truly horrific things over the course of his life. Making him have to grow up pretty fast for his age and so we see how emotionally disconnected he’s become with others expect for a few people he holds close to his chest. Holland brings this tough shield he hides behind but over the course of the film we see him crack more and more until he reaches a breaking point where what’s containing inside of his heart and is body he can’t keep inside any longer. As we see bursts of Brutal violence from him on others that did him or his loved ones wrong and would take it out on them. For the most part he could control that anger and that rage but theirs a point he reaches emotionally where he can’t and refuses to hold it back anymore and then he just takes a sharp dive off the deep end. That’s when we get to see Holland unleash such rage and deep dark emotional depths that truly amazed me. First off his ability to wrap his tongue around such a thick southern accent was perfect it never felt like it was over the top or jokey it was perfectly done. Then his ability to show bits of darkness throughout the film without fully letting his rage take over until later on in the film was brilliant. As we see the bursts of anger but the uncontrollable rage comes later on and wow does Tom Holland demand the screen in such raw and emotionally hard hitting delivery. When he’s on the brink of tears even he holds back to keep it together for his family and you just see the emotional stress eating away at him constantly and when he lets that anger and heartache out it’s amazing. It’s a very quiet emotionally charged performance by Holland that yes is subtle for half of the film but is so compelling to see him peel emotional layers back constantly on after the other. Truly one of his best performances he’s ever given Holland is a force of nature. 

Robert Pattinson : Pattinson delivers a black hearted performance that is chilling and truly amazing! Pattinson has had quite the year with Tenet, Waiting For The Barbarians and now this film. He has stepped up his game in the last couple of years really finding his footing as an actor and has been delivering some of the best work of his career. Pattinson plays the new preacher in the town and causes quite a stir upon his first day their that gives people a uneasy feeling about his methods. Robert dose not play the character as this big explosive person who is constantly flying off the wheel. He is very calm and collected and is scary in his speech and the way he carries himself their are some truly unsettling scenes where he says nothing but because of Pattinsons amazing range he can say so much by saying so little. Robert’s character is a sexual predator who fools people by his strong faith In god and his intense sermons as you can see his loyalty in christ and he believes in what he is saying to people but he though does not follow the path of what he is telling people to follow. So he spits deep words with no impact since he isn’t doing what he’s saying the words hit shallow to his heart.  Pattinson has this quiet intimidation that was so creepily well done on his part. You can see the pure intensity in his soul when spitting those words of god to others and you can see the absolute passion he puts into them when he is up their making it his stage on which he performs on. Then when greeting  others you can see the gentleness he has in the way he speaks and the way he expresses himself. Then behind the closed doors after hours when girls come to see him we can see this blackness to his eyes that we know he has nothing but evil intentions. Pattinson steps up to the task of making that emotional stitch perfectly throughout the course of the film. Robert also wraps his tongue around the southern accent he plays in such a well done way that feels so authentic. His layers he peels back of this character is so well done as we see him only crack in the moments he is the most desperate. Robert gives a performance that is emotionally subtle and bone chilling and terrifying of a man with such a sister heart that is brought to the screen in such a terrifyingly outstanding performance by Pattinson. 

Antonio Campos : Antonio Delivers a tale of grim black hearted unpredictability. Antonio is a filmmaker who I am unfamiliar with but after viewing this film of his I see he loves films about characters and the surrounding environment they are thrust into that adapts their thinking and behaviour towards others. The film felt very authentic and realistic in its depiction of its tones that were discussed. As the film discusses themes of betrayal, murder, corruption and its tackled in a very brutal way that makes you feel like you need to take a shower once its done because the subject matter is so unsettling. i did feel Antonio could of done a better job at structuring the plot though as the first hour of the film did feel overlong and slow because of some scenes that were not important to the overall impact of the story. At the same time their were aspects that he should of elaborated on which he didn’t. That’s the only thing I would say I had a problem with in terms of his direction of this film. What did engage me though was his sheer ability to be very upfront about the subject matter and not sugar coat anything but show it for what it was. It didn’t feel like acting it had this real gritty look to it that felt very real and had this documentary feel to the frame that was so compelling to watch. As well he gets top notch performances from his entire cast and Antonio Campos does a great job at brining this sinister tale to the big screen.