The Devil All The Time movie review

MOVIE TITLE:  The Devil All the Time

RATING:   R

LENGTH:   2 hours, 18 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE:   B-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Netflix presents a new film directed by Antonio Campos based on the gothic crime novel also called The Devil All the Time.  What’s cool is that the movie is narrated by Donald Ray Pollock, the author of the book!   Knockemstiff is a town featured in the movie that you’d swear was a made-up name, but it”s a real place where Pollack grew up.  The movie is produced by Jake Gyllenhaal, which makes sense because the characters sort of feel like characters Jake has played in some of his former movies.  Speaking of the cast, that’s why you want to watch this movie.  It’s like attending an acting class.

That being said, it’s a bleak and gruesome movie that features the ugliness of twisted people.  This is NOT a family-friendly film, nor one you want to watch with your grandma.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Gory, bloody scene of a man on a cross
• A disgusting scene with a bunch of spiders. EEK!  Yes, they used real spiders.
• A kid gets a black eye from a fight (we don’t see the fight)
• Suicide, deaths
• Bloody murders
• Two awkward car scenes that imply sexual encounters
• Profanity, including several F-bombs
• You see a woman in just her bra, then topless
• You see a naked man full-frontal

THEMES:

• Gossip
• Faith/religion
• Standing up for yourself and others
• Deception
• The lives we touch

THINGS I LIKED:

• Robert Pattison has been cranking out a lot of exceptional performances lately. Recently, he starred in Tenet and last year The Lighthouse.  He uses an interesting voice for his character in this film, something he loves to do.  He has stated before that he feels like a fake if he sounds like his regular voice.  In fact, he wouldn’t let anyone hear the voice he was going to use until the first day of filming.
• The Amazing Spider-Man fans will love seeing Tom Holland in this. You’ll be impressed by how Peter Parker disappears and a new character emerges, as Tom Holland uses his physicality to completely change his persona.  Be patient…he doesn’t actually show up in the movie until 46 minutes in.
• Marvel fans will also enjoy seeing Sebastian Stan, although you might not recognize him.  The MCU represents well in this movie.
• Strong production values
• All of the female actresses were great and did a lot with the small roles they were given.  Kudos to Haley Bennett, Mia Wasikowska, Eliza Scanlen, and Kristin Griffith.
• The scenes were shot on 35 mm film, which is rare for a Netflix movie.
• Jason Clarke was good, but we’ve seen him be this kind of character before.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• When people today see religion portrayed like this in movies, it’s no wonder they want nothing to do with Christianity.
• Like horror movies, the characters are clueless and don’t see what should be obvious.
• Most of the characters are all the same age so there’s not a wide range.
• With a title like The Devil All the Time, you can bet that there are some extremely dark moments you’ll wish you didn’t see.
• Time is supposed to pass, but the characters don’t really age.
• The story jumps forward and backward in time, which could make it difficult for some viewers to follow.

INTERESTING LINES:

• “Pray on.” – father
• “Some people just need a little help once in a while, you know what I mean?” – Charlotte Russell   (Haley Bennett)
• “I got the urge to pray.” –   Willard Russell      (Bill Skarsgard)
• “Time does pass.” –  Emma  (Kristin Griffith)
• “Some people are born to be buried.”

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@TrinaBoice