Devil (2010)

We recently set down and watched Devil. Before the movie even started, we began discussing as to who will be the next person to give that ole Satan character some sort of justice. I mean over the years, the guy has pretty much been played by a slew of well known actors and actresses. This led us into deciding to discuss them with you all over the next few weeks and gather your input as to who has played the role the best. But first let us turn our attention to the movie at hand.




Looking over the actors and actresses that will be in this flick left me wondering, will this be a break out film for any of them. Honestly I can say the only person I ever seen in a movie from this cast is Bokeem Woodbine.



The movie starts rather quickly, with a majority of the acting being done within the confines of a stalled elevator. The story progresses quickly as characters begin to die off one by one. With each passing death the occupants begin to lay the blame on one another while a detective attempts to maintain control via radio and closed circuit cameras. The security guys attempt to help, to the extent of a Hispanic guard telling the officer that it must be the devil. The detective finds that hard to believe as says he doesn’t believe un the devil, that everyone is to blame for their own actions. The detective attempts to unravel each murder by accessing information about each individual within the elevator. Soon, it comes to fruition that everyone in the elevator has some sort of criminal past and sketchy lives. The detective frequently reminds the other officers that he has seen rough days like these ever since his wife and son were killed in a car crash where the perpetrator left a message on a car wash coupon saying that he was sorry. He lives the day over and over each day, trying to find the strength to continue on with his job and bring everyone to justice.



As each character inside the elevator dies the detective finds there past transgressions and attempts to find who would have the motive to kill the others in the elevator. It finally comes to pass that all the characters involved is linked to one another in some form or fashion. In the end, the old woman comes back to life, or did she really die, her eyes blackened by being possessed by ole Satan. She stands over the last guy, who is trying to keep the last woman alive, and relays that he was the last one and that even he could not get himself out of the fate which is about to befell him. The guy begins spilling his past encounter which had sentenced him to death and publicly announces that he had killed a woman and boy in a car accident and left a note, saying he was sorry. Unbeknownst to him, the devil says that she looked forward to killing him but could not any longer and disappears as they finally get the elevator open.



The film ends as the detective is driving the male character to the station. He tells him that it was his wife and son that the guy had killed and he ultimately forgives him, which leads us to believe that his forgiveness is the only thing that saved him from being killed by the devil.



Overall, I thought the movie could use a little more building up of each character before their deaths, that and more background into the detective. I enjoyed the movie, yet the devil being played by such an older woman led me to figuring out who the killer was rather quickly. Would I have seen it in the theater? No. But I would recommend the DVD to any fanatic of movies where the devil makes an appearance.