The Devil All the Time Review: An Eerily Dark and a Somber Tale!

The Devil All the Time, the new Netflix Original, brings together a large ensemble of recently successful actors and narrates a profoundly dismal and a layered story that hinges on the concepts of God’s gospel and the gloominess surrounding it. Based on the novel of the same name written by Donald Ray Pollock, the film stars prominent names like Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Riley Keough, accompanied by a strong supporting cast including Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd and Sebastian Stan.

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Set in the 1950s, The Devil All the Time primarily revolves around three families and showcases how their lives get ruined for living in an absurd small-town inhibited by sinister people. Subsequently, the narrative also follows a young man’s journey of how, or if he managed to pull through these malevolent situations, one after the other.

Enclosed within two small towns in America, the story of The Devil All the Time can only exist between the 1950s and the mid-60s largely because of its conservative nature and orthodoxness. The thick Southern accent, their irrational belief systems, and the extent they are willing to go to get what they need in the name of Jesus Christ flawlessly fitted the overall vibe the film is attempting to achieve.

And the psychological aspect of things keeps the narrative even more captivating for the most part as you the trauma that these families are going through gradually starts to creep in at a methodical pace which once again complements the dark and depressing mood. Consequently, the primary stories that run parallel to each other throughout the film were interconnected decently by the very end as all the loose ends tie together accommodating a definite conclusion.

Despite being deliberately slow in its approach, and a premise that does not present the entertainment quotient, the storyline of The Devil All the Time never reached a point where it begins to get tiresome as I never had the urge to pause the film mid-way through. Also, the passé countryside setting further helped me immerse myself in the storyline and understand why every character keeps making these horrible decisions from start to finish.

Moving on, more on the positive side, the performances from the cast and the characters elevated the film’s quality to a significantly higher level as expected. Starting with Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd as this resolute conservative father and a loving husband to Robert Pattinson as the subdued Reverend, and Riley Keough, who reached a crossroads in her life. Everyone offered their absolute best and maintained their characters to remain engaging inside and out. Tom Holland and Eliza Scanlen, as the brother and sister duo, also shined bright during the second and the third acts and had quite significant characters to play that dictated the remainder of the narrative.

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Overall, The Devil All the Time is definitely not a delightful film to watch during a warm weekend. The narrative is dark, violent, and maintained a somber tone throughout its entirety. It masterfully narrates a couple of saddening stories about these families who are deeply affected by the people surrounding them and the dreary town they live in for their entire lifetime. A much different outing when compared to the several hundred Originals that are available on the platform. Watch ‘The Devil All the Time’ on Netflix here.

Rating – 3.25/5 | Grade – B

Images via Netflix