Two Reviews in One: Devil and The American
It's becoming a trend of mine lately, but perhaps I shouldn't be too proud of it. For the second time in consecutive weeks I decided to catch a pair of movies at the Regal in Edgmont. I won't go into the details about the art of sneaking into a second film (maybe I'll blog on that later), but you can't be too picky when pulling off "The Double Feature". I had a partner in crime this time out, so I let him choose the first one. He decided to go with the M Night Shyamalan (producer) film Devil. Being somewhat restricted, I wasn't upset at all by the thought of doubling down with the latest George Clooney picture, The American. With pretzel bites and candy in hand, we set off on the adventure. Here's what I had to say about the films:

- Film: Devil
- Starring: Chris Messina (Julie and Julia) and Geoffrey Arend (500 Days of Summer and Super Troopers)
- U.S. Release: 2010 (rated PG-13)
- Director: John Erick Dowdle
- Genre: Horror
- Runtime: 80 minutes

I had no real expectations going into the film. I've always been a big horror fan, so I guess you could say I was somewhat intrigued. Devil offers a solid story, excellent pacing, and just enough suspense to keep your interest. Though I must offer a warning to die hard fans of the Horror genre. Devil shies away from showing you too much during the intense scenes. If your looking for gore and brutality, you definitely won't find it here.

Devil follows a group of strangers on an elevator ride inside of a Philadelphia building. When the elevator breaks down, the situation begins to go haywire. Police are baffled by the crazy turn of events that begin to take place in the enclosed space. However, one security guard has his own theory for detectives at the scene. He believes that the Devil is present in the elevator.

Despite it's mediocre attempt at a twist, Devil will keep you entertained and interested in how this 80 minute thrill ride resolves itself. The acting was certainly above average for a Horror film and props to Devil for its constant usage of the Philadelphia skyline. And even though there's nothing groundbreaking about the film, the story is sure to keep you guessing until the end. I wouldn't recommend rushing out to see it before it exits theatres, but it's worth seeing if you stumble upon it down the road.

Watch Devil if you enjoyed: The Orphan. Very different stories, but the feel of the movies were similar. Intriguing and entertaining, but nothing more.