The Devil All the Time
Synopsis: Sinister characters converge around a young man devoted to protecting those he loves in a postwar backwoods town teeming with corruption and brutality.
Movie Review:
“The Devil All the Time” was directed by Antonio Campos and is based on the book of the same name. Campos delivers a good thriller that is about corruption and revenge with outstanding performances from every actor in the film. The movie successfully navigates to a few interwind stories through generations and other characters who live in the backwoods town. The actor who steals the show is Tom Holland who plays Arvin Russell. He is the main character and is the son of Willard Russell played by Bill Skarsgard. Skarsgard’s main job is to teach his son how to fight. He gives a strong performance as his character, but he is only in the film for a short period of time. In my opinion, this is Tom Holland’s best performance to date. He speaks with a realistic southern accent, full of emotion and honesty and transforms this movie from good to great. Most of the supporting roles like Mia Wasikowska, and Haley Bennet (a church pastor) aren’t in the film that long but their presence adds to the plot. I thought Robert Pattison who plays Rev. Preston Teagardin, another church pastor, was incredible; especially the scene he has with Tom Holland near the end of the second act. Sebastian Stan plays a corrupt Sherriff, but I was disappointed where his storyline went -- it felt wasted and rushed. I also enjoyed watching Jason Clarke who played a deranged serial killer who likes taking pictures of his dead victims. He was creepy and insane. I had some issues with the movie like it is a little slow and lacks a narrative focus in the beginning, but it does pick up later on in the movie. And the constant narration throughout the movie was annoying and felt out of place. However, I liked this movie. With a heartbreaking performance by Tom Holland, solid directing, and strong second and third acts, this is an exciting thriller. I am giving “The Devil All the Time” a 4 out of 5 stars.
Director: Antonio Campos
Cast: Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgard, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennet, Eliza Scanlen with Mia Wasikowska and Robert Pattinson
Runtime: 138 minutes