THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME – Rated R – 2 hrs. 18 mins
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Antonio Campos
WRITERS: Paulo Campos (Screenplay), Donald Ray Pollock (Novel)
STARRING: Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgard, Haley Bennett, Sebastian Stan, Jason Clarke, Riley Keough and Mia Wasikowska
Based on the novel by the same name by Donald Ray Pollock, and bosting an All-star cast, THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME takes you into a decades long intertwining of lives, and storylines, as everyone involved either fights the demons they are about to encounter, or the demons that are already inhabiting their very souls…
First up in this multidimensional tale is WWII Vet Willard Russell (Bill Skarsgard), his new wife Charlotte (Haley Bennett), and their son Arvin (Michael Banks Repeta/Tom Holland), as their quiet and faithful lives are turned upside down, praying to God to bestow upon them just one blessing, although it seems he isn’t listening. And if this families pain and anguish isn’t enough to bring you to your knees, then lets switch gears up just a little, to follow a greatly depraved married couple, Carl Henderson (Jason Clarke), and his wife Sandy (Riley Keough), who are constantly roaming across Mid America in search of hitchhikers to fulfill their sexually explicit fantasies, before these poor Bastards meet ultimately meet with their demise. And if that particular storyline isn’t quite enough to turn your stomach, and make depression set in, then you’ll look forward to meeting the new Preacher in town, Preston Teagardin (Robert Pattinson), who is spreading God’s love throughout his congregation, especially in the direction of the young ladies he seeks out, who seem to be more than willing to hang on his every word…including Arvin’s stepsister Lenora (Eliza Scanlen), as her world comes crashing down, along with quite a few more it seems, as increasingly dire circumstances continue to unfold throughout every inch of this Netflix original film…
I give THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME a rating between MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN or CATCH IT THIS WEEK ON NETFLIX! Being released here locally at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema, and hitting on NETFLIX tonight too, The Devil All the Time is one of those films full of stars, that manage to give exceptional performances throughout, it just seems to wain in places within its multiple storylines, which actually could have made more impact, had they moved at a slightly faster pace. But, with that said, all of the storylines throughout this film are masterfully crafted, as they continue to intersect throughout decades of these poor people’s lives. And I’m no prude, but some of the content throughout this film became more and more perverted as it goes along as well, forcing me to suggest that NO ONE under the age of 17 in your household should view this film. And now that we’ve covered those issues sufficiently, I must also express that I was totally blown away by Tom Holland’s incredible performance throughout every inch of this film, as this dramatic and more mature endeavor proves that he has what it takes to become one of the greatest actors of his generation. In other words, there is no Spiderman at all visible within this film! I was also majorly impressed by Pattinson’s performance, as he really takes on the character of the flawed Preacher quite effortlessly. Truth be told, the casting throughout this film is superb across the board, including the performances by Clarke, Keough and Stan too all the way, as they so could go toe-to-toe with Holland and Pattinson’ too, making this film a definite must see on Netflix, unless you prefer to see most films of this caliber on the big screen, then by all means, make plans to catch it at Plaza Frontenac this weekend, just remember to take your mask and hand sanitizer along with you when you go….
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 