At a time when big-budget films are dominating the box office, IFC Films’ Late Night With the Devil had the daunting task of setting itself apart. Mission accomplished.
Already, horror industry professionals like Stephen King are singing its praises. Starring genre movie darling David Dastmalchian, the found footage horror film sets the stage so well, that many wonder if it’s a true story or not. Late Night With the Devil takes place on a late ‘70s talk show, “Night Owls With Jack Delroy.” On one Halloween night, Delroy (Dastmalchian) invites a survivor of a cult suicide and thereby invites the Devil to come on stage.
Against all odds, Late Night With the Devil has impressed critics if the Rotten Tomatoes score is any indication. By word of mouth and remaining Certified Fresh, the horror film may prove that the indie genre isn’t dead yet. But that hasn’t stopped discourse about the film’s art from overwhelming these discussions.
Did Late Night With the Devil use AI art?
AI art is a relatively new concept but has undeniably affected movies and television shows. Marvel’s Secret Invasion famously used artificial intelligence to create their opening sequence, to the dismay of fans. Implementing AI takes jobs away from hard-working professionals who continue to fight for fair wages.
These conversations have inspired fans to take a closer look at the media they consume. Viewers on X (formally Twitter) quickly picked up that a few promotional images of the late-night show were created using AI.
Cameron and Colin Cairnes, who wrote and directed the film, addressed implementing AI in a statement to Variety.
“In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented and passionate cast, crew and producing team go above and beyond to help bring this film to life.”
Compared to Marvel’s misdeeds, Late Night WIth the Devil’s sins don’t quite have the same weight. The production used AI art as a springboard to create art with a very limited budget. The aesthetic of the film is significant to the enjoyment of the film. Jobs were not taken away from artists, who were still involved in creating these images.
However, it is also important to note that this could be a slippery slope. Bigger production companies can see these small uses of AI and consider using them on a bigger scale. It is a short leap to phasing out artists altogether. One man’s innocent indiscretion is another man’s destruction of art forms.