Devil (2010)

What makes it different from others?

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Judging by the score this movie got (especially on Metacritic) I can't help but feel that a lot of people prejudged this movie based on its writer. It isn't controversial to say that Shyamalan had made a lot of terrible movies before the release of "Devil" and I think a lot of people simply assumed this was going to be one of them. I can't say I blame them. I must admit that when I saw the cheesy poster art with the upside down crucifix shining through the elevator doors I wasn't expecting much from this movie either. But I was pleasantly surprised.The plot was solid and Shyamalan's obligatory plot twist actually worked this time unlike most of the hilariously bad plot twists which he is notorious for. All in all "Devil" is a well thought out thriller. The acting is great and the atmosphere is captured brilliantly. My one complaint would be that it all ends rather abruptly and a little too simplistically. The audience doesn't really get the time to process it all.I give this movie a 7/10. After many terrible movies, it seems that M. Night Shyamalan has finally begun to repair his tarnished reputation.

I think the plot of this movie come from manga of masumoto yokoNoriawaseta Shinigami (Evil Spirit): Miya was supposed to just take her father his lunch, but an earthquake stops the elevator she is on. Before the lights go off, a woman calls out that there is a shinigami (a grim reaper) among them, but suddenly dies before everyone is able to see where she pointed. Was the woman just crazy or is everyone's life now in grave danger?https://myanimelist.net/manga/4003/Inviting_Darknesshttp://a-lisa.exteen.com/20110311/matsumoto-yokohttp://a-lisa.exteen.com/20110312/matsumoto-yoko

The year 2010 was not a great year for M. Night Shyamalan. It all started when when his over-profited film "The Last Airbender" was meant with negative feedback. One could only hope that the lesser budgeted film "Devil" can hope revitalize his decaying reputation. The first of his "Night Chronicles" franchise, but that was feared that the harsh critics would easily dismiss it. So Universal Pictures cleverly released in in theatres before they had a chance to chomp at it right away. It doesn't happen like this everyday, but "Devil" is an exception to that.The story focuses on five strangers trapped in an office elevator in Philadelphia. As the lift is at midway point, tension bursts in the air and the civilians isolated in the elevator develop a lot of mistrust in one another. The fear is that there is something else lurking around them which makes them prone to violent acts to the point where lives are taken from them. On the outside, through CCTV cameras, Detective Bowden (Chris Messina)a reformed alcoholic comes to the conclusion that the evil that's lurking isn't an act of nature, but The Devil or someone possessed by Satan. And the ruler of evil invited these civilians with no clear explanation.Due to the bad press given to Shyamalan for participating in this low-budgeted spectacular, the guys behind the lenses John Erick and Drew Dowdle the duo behind the appalling "Quarantine". To give them credits the Dowdles succeeded in using the most frugal resources by pitting five people in a generic setting like an elevator with 75 minutes saturated with heavy tension and paranoia among the victims stuck in one place. The film looks and has the feel more like a "Twilight Zone" integrity going for it thanks mainly to the script by Brian Nelson. The Dowdles succeed in doing everyone a favor by not making the Devil a scary being.Even though Shyamalan isn't directing or given penmanship for this movie, he does succeed in leaving his hand-prints all over it. It comes assembled with reactionary screenplays with performers coming to grips progressively with the situation they are facing and they have to absorb the nightmares that bestows upon them. The story divides between victims in a precarious situation and a befuddled detective trying to ascertain that a religious entity is just an eye-blink away. Though the Dowdles can't cram too much in a 75 minute parameter and using low-key effects to create a dire environment and enough to keep the horror film in all its PG-13 rating. I'm glad this movie's is doing everything to draw our own conclusions towards the unholy evil coming at us, but the scenes spell green screen everywhere. The off-camera yelps are heard in an omnipresent fashion.The score by Fernando Velazquez was quite electrifying as each sound was created the fear factor through every scene. Messina is also very impressive in his performance as a man of little faith challenging the supernatural entities that's coming for him and to reconsider his faith in the afterlife.It shouldn't come as a shocker that an unpredictable twist will be coming our way like the way Shyamalan delivers. And though Hollywood wants to restrain the integrity that Shyamalan provides, its the the sole purpose to why "Devil" can be a claustrophobic drag programmed to see the twist coming a mile away.

**CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS**This movie kept me on the edge of my seat! I was NOT expecting who the killer really was! I was expecting it to be the security guard, since he was a thug. It REALLY surprised me when I realized it wasn't him. I will definitely rewatch this movie! It really surprised me when all of the passengers on the elevator had criminal backgrounds, or did something wrong like a hit and run *hint hint* This movie definitely beats other movies, like Children of the Corn. I usually don't rewatch horror movies since I already know what's going to happen, but this movie will Definitely be rewatched. The only boring parts I can think of is when the mechanic, the one trying to fix the elevator not Tony, goes to the basement. I honestly was expecting the elevator to somehow start working and crash down onto him, but he didn't die like that. When Tony was the one who hit the mother and son, I was completely surprised and predicted that the cop or whoever he was, would turn him in even though it was five years ago.