Story: Sinister characters converge around a young man devoted to protecting those he loves in a postwar backwoods town teeming with corruption and brutality.
The Devil All The Time is one hell of a dense journey with a hot cast where a bunch of unlikeable characters meet and stories unfold that are dull. I'll admit the cast is what initially drew me to this story as I usually avoid dramas like this that tend to be long.
The Devil All The Time is tedious, overstuffed, overlong, sometimes vicious, well-directed, well-acted, moody, and depressing. I think we have too many stories going on at once. Too many characters walking around that feel like they don't add anything to the story other than shock value or sporting a decent performance by a known actor. As in the cases of Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right) & Haley Bennett (Swallow) who are usually good but their parts feel like anyone could've played them. Why cast such talented actresses like them for wasted roles? Bill Skarsgard (Villains) gets more to do than the latter mostly because we mostly follow him around for the first act.
It's refreshing to watch Tom Holland (The Impossible) in a role with a little more meat than his usual fares. The kid's got real charm and I'm glad to see him expand his talents outside the Marvel Universe. He plays a quiet enraged everyday man with a traumatic past who's just looking to do some good. Sebastian Stan (I Tonya) has the chance to shine in a role against type, though his screentime is limited when compared to others he still leaves a mark.
Jason Clark (Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes) & Riley Keough (The Lodge) are great as a couple of serial killers who enjoy murdering young men and taking compromising photographs. But it is Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse) who steals the show for me as the degenerate creep of a preacher who is just despicable. He not only gives the best performance but he's also lucky enough to have the best-written character in this movie.
I feel like the running-time could've been at least 15 to 20 minutes shorter to tighten up the pace but I always complain when a movie is longer than an hour and a half. One thing I did notice is how smooth the soundtrack is. Always setting the mood quietly in the background. I give props to Antonio Campos for naturally directing every actor on set and how he handled the story being told. This is quite a dark story of murder. Always a sense of dread roaming around. A main theme being everyone gets what they deserve and the world is a nasty unforgiving place where being good doesn't always pay off.
Anyone who grew up in small conservative towns will surely find something to relate to as this surely captures the quietness and the humbleness. The way religion is incorporated into children to a point of obscurity. The way religion shapes the mind of the needy. The small-mindedness of the town's people. How corrupted people in positions of power can be. How easily manipulated ignorant and vulnerable people can be. There's a lot going on this one's veins.
The Devil All The Time is one of those experiences you appreciate more than you enjoy.
Here's the trailer:
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