"DEVIL"

M.Night Shamalan does it again with another epic horror thriller. The same guy that brought you "The Last Airbender", "Signs" and "The Sixth Sense" doesn't fail to deliver on his latest work "Devil".

This gripping horror tells the story of five people trapped in an elevator (I know, that alone is scary enough right there). Not only is the elevator stuck, technical and mechanical malfunctions begin to happen with the elevator that force the audience and the members trapped in the elevator to be concerned for their well being.

The film begins slow. The lights cut off and when they rise, one of the women is bitten and pushed to the floor violently. This is when things get interesting. No one knows who is guilty of doing the heinous crime, but they all point fingers at one another in a guessing game of "whodoneit". Ultimately, this happens time and time again, with each time becoming more and more graphic. Finally, there is one person left who finally comes to the realization of why all this has happened. Because he comes clean of his guilt, his life is spared by the "Devil".

I thought this movie was good, but the plot line was fairly simplistic and the story line was basic. There is a twist toward the end of the movie that viewers might not see, but it is so brief that it doesn't hold a lot of weight with the viewer. I was not surprised going into the theatre. I knew what I was getting myself into. Shamalan does a great job using the things at his disposal-the lighting and sound effects. Shamalan turns the lights off to keep the audience in a state of uncertainty and paranoia, only to bring the lights up to a horrific scene. This too becomes somewhat predictable, but the audience never knows who is going to be killed next. The only clues the audience have are sound effects that lurk in the darkness of someone getting killed by the devil.

The thing I hate about this film is that it is so simplistic, yet so intriguing. I feel like I could have come up with this film and shot it. (but I don't have the brilliant mind of M.Night Shamalan)

I do like the religious undertones of the piece however, that give it more significance than just a horror film. It is also a social commentary on spirituality and coming to terms with your wrong doings.

I would recommend you rent this movie on DVD. It is okay in theatres, but not necessarily something that takes advantage of the theatre components (surround sound/big screen).