Late Night With the Devil parents guide: Viewers of all ages should beware of scares

If you're a fan of the horror genre, chances are you've heard of the movie Late Night With the Devil. The film, directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes and starring David Dastmalchian, premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2023 where it received positive reviews. Buzz around the movie started building after that, making it very highly anticipated by the time it was released in theaters a year later in March 2024.

And despite a very disappointing AI controversy that came out soon after the movie debuted in theaters last month, Late Night With the Devil still continues to receive praise from both critics and casual moviegoers. I saw the movie as soon as I could when it hit theaters in New York City, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that the film is streaming on Shudder and AMC+, I'll definitely recommend it to my horror-loving friends. But for those who have kids around, my recommendation will come with a content warning. This movie is not for children, and in fact, it could totally traumatize them.

Why Late Night With the Devil is rated R

Using a documentary/found footage format, Late Night With the Devil follows a popular talk show host who, in an attempt to improve his ratings, invites a girl on who is supposedly possessed for a special Halloween episode. Though some around him are skeptical (and others are terrified), Jack is determined to host a show like no one has ever done before. Even if that means very dangerous consequences will come with it. As a horror movie fan, I'd rate this one as moderately scary, but I personally have a very high tolerance. Those who scare easily — especially children, but adults as well — would likely be very frightened by Late Night With the Devil.

Let's break down what exactly earns Late Night With the Devil that R-rating.

Violence & Frightening Images: This is the biggest element that rightfully earns Late Night With the Devil an R-rating. As mentioned, the movie follows an allegedly possessed girl who comes onto the show. For the ratings, host Jack plays with fire by encouraging a conjuring of the devil that possesses the girl, and that goes just about as well as you'd imagine. Not well at all. Through this, there is violence as well as gory images, including a man ripping open his stomach, a woman being hanged, stabbings, and a head splitting down the middle. That's not all. The possession of the girl is incredibly creepy, and could really disturb a child if they're watching.

There are definitely many movies out there that are more graphically violent than this one, so if your children are starting to get into horror movies, Late Night With the Devil might not be a bad choice for them. It really depends on their age and what they've been exposed to already. If horror isn't their thing, though, I'd avoid this movie.

Language: There is profanity throughout the movie, including the use of the "F"-word multiple times, as well as the usage of the "C"-word. Words like "s**t," "w***e," and others you definitely don't want your children repeating are also said. The use of profanity is from start to finish, so it's pretty much unavoidable if you were hoping you might be able to fast-forward through it.

Drinking & Drugs: There's not an excessive amount of this, though Jack and other characters do drink alcohol. Substance use is not really a central element of the movie.

Sex/Nudity: While there is no sex or nudity in Late Night With the Devil, there are sexual references. If your child is young enough, these moments will likely go right over their heads. That said, if your kid is young enough that they won't understand sexual references, they're definitely too young for the violence and gore in the movie.

Want a closer glimpse at Late Night With the Devil to gauge the tone? Check out the trailer here:

What age is Late Night With the Devil appropriate for?

Late Night With the Devil was no doubt made for adults, but I do think teenagers could watch the movie and feel okay about it depending on what they've seen before. R-rated movies are for viewers 17 and up, but for this one, kids around 14 and older are probably fine if they're already into horror movies. I say this because if they've already seen R-rated horror movies and can sleep at night, then Late Night With the Devil likely won't bother them. But if they haven't been exposed to horror movies at all, I'd start with something less frightening with a lower age rating.

Some recent alternatives include Lisa Frankenstein (PG-13), now streaming on Peacock, and Night Swim (PG-13), also on Peacock.

If your child is younger than a teenager, I'd just avoid Late Night With the Devil. It's just not worth exposing them to something that could potentially give them nightmares. Of course, at the end of the day, what you allow your kid to watch is totally up to your discretion. But I hope this guide gives you some help with your decision!

Late Night With the Devil is now available to stream on Shudder and AMC+.