Late Night With The Devil Is The Streaming Hit That Proves Blockbusters Aren’t Always The Best

Late Night With the Devil surpassed AMC’s previous record holders by more than 85 percent in viewership, winning over the spotlight from V/H/S/99 and When Evil Lurks and earning more than three times higher in acquisitions.

Critical response to the movie showed that it doesn’t take major Hollywood studios to make a good film and the independent feature has secured a “Certified Fresh” rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes with scores of 97 percent from critics and 81 percent from audiences.

Horror legend Stephen King was granted a preview screening of the film while it was circulating through film festivals last year.

He tweeted his opinion of the movie stating, “It’s absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Your results may vary, as they say, but I urge you to watch it when you can.”

Late Night With the Devil then moved to theaters in March 2024 where it earned $2.8 million in its first three days (ironically $666,666 was the total on the third day), and became the best opening weekend for an IFC Films release.

Late Night with the Devil chronicles the story of Jack Delroy, the charismatic host of the widely acclaimed late-night talk show, Night Owls. For years, Night Owls has been a comforting presence for insomniacs across the nation. However, on October 31, 1977, a year after the devastating loss of Jack’s wife, the show’s ratings take a nosedive. 

Determined to revive his career, Jack devises an unprecedented Halloween special. Little does he know, his ambitious plans will unwittingly invite malevolent forces into the homes of millions of Americans as they all spend a terrifying late night with the devil.

Speaking of the horror movie’s viral reception, Sam Zimmerman, Shudder’s vice president of programming said, “We knew Late Night with the Devil was audacious, frightening, and crowd-pleasing in equal measure, and we are ecstatic to see that so fully embraced by our existing and brand-new members.

Late Night’s success across streaming and theatrical is a win for the kind of inventive, original genre that Shudder and IFC Films aim for. A huge congratulations to the Cairnes and the fantastic filmmaking team.”

While huge box office films are often hit or miss, independent films like Late Night With the Devil often make the biggest impact on audiences, even if they don’t make as much money as the tent poles do.

Movies like The Passion of the Christ, The Intouchables, Dances with Wolves, The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding are the highest-grossing independent films of all time.

And while none of them reached the billion dollar mile mark that blockbusters go for, each of them has made a major impact in the world of cinema.