‘Late Night with the Devil’ caused a lot of talk about its use of AI, but the directors don’t think it should.
In a new interview with Variety, they explained that their team only used AI for three pictures in the movie, and it was for ‘experimental uses’:
“In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images, which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented and passionate cast, crew, and producing team go above and beyond to help bring this film to life. We can’t wait for everyone to see it for themselves this weekend.”
This new horror flick was directed by the Australian brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes. However, some fans didn’t like the film’s use of AI. They even decided not to watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ at all before its release in the US today.
What Made Fans ‘That’ Upset?
A negative review on Letterboxd started it all:
“Listen. There’s AI all over this in the cutaways and ‘we’ll be right back’ network messages. For this reason I can’t enjoy the amazing performances and clever ending. It actually feels insulting when that skeleton message shows up repeatedly, like the filmmakers don’t give a sh*t and want to let you know that you’ll accept blatant AI in your 70s period piece. Don’t let this be the start of accepting this sh*t in your entertainment. It really does suck being the only one ready to complain about this. Be more mad if movies are your passion.”
Fans on Twitter agreed with the criticism and questioned why the filmmakers didn’t gire a real artist instead. One of them wrote:
“We aren’t devaluing the work of the cast and crew of Late Night with the Devil by criticizing the use of AI. Whoever decided to use AI instead of hiring an artist did that.”
Another admitted:
“I was super excited to see Late Night With The Devil, but finding out they used AI art to cut corners makes me disinterested in the movie now. This sucks!”
‘Late Night with the Devil’ was well-received after its debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2023. It currently has 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film will hit the theaters on 22 March 2024. It will be available for streaming on Shudder starting April 19, 2024.
Watch the trailer below:
