DEVIL
A redemptive thriller whose scares demand discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
DEVIL is a surprisingly effective thriller. Its story is intriguing, sometimes truly scary, and well directed despite its low-budget production. It also offers more than scares: forgiveness, redemption, prayer, Scripture, and the conviction that God and redemption are more powerful than the Devil.
That moral hope comes wrapped in disturbing material. People die in violent circumstances, the evil presence is frightening, and the language is strong. The worldview is mixed, including pagan elements and a Catholic character who prays to Mary.
If you are a mature adult who can engage those elements with discernment, the film offers real suspense and a surprisingly redemptive premise. For children and young teens, choose something else: DEVIL is worth the trip for discerning adults only.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESFive strangers—an old woman, a young woman, a security guard, a salesman, and a mysterious mechanic—become trapped in an elevator inside a Philadelphia high-rise. Security personnel watch them through cameras and communicate by intercom as tension and claustrophobia build.
A Catholic security guard suspects that the Devil may be involved. Detective Bowden, still carrying grief from a tragic loss, is drawn into the crisis as a mysterious evil threatens everyone inside.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means DEVIL is surprisingly very good, though its content limits its audience. The story, conceived by M. Night Shyamalan, is intriguing and at times truly frightening. The low-budget movie is well directed and suspenseful.
Its strongest achievement is the way it combines a contained thriller setup with a surprising moral premise. The film’s redemptive elements give the scares added weight. Still, its strong language, violent content, and frightening subject matter make it a film for mature viewers rather than a broad audience.
The Worldview
DEVIL presents a mixed worldview. It contains pagan elements and treats the Devil as an active evil presence, while also positively emphasizing God, prayer, Scripture, forgiveness, and redemption. Scripture is shown at the beginning with a reference to 1 Peter 5:8, and a Catholic character references a crucifix several times but prays to Mary, which may upset some Protestant believers.
The film also includes an anti-capitalist element in its depiction of a businessman as a fraud involved in Ponzi schemes. At the same time, it strongly affirms that God and redemption are more powerful than the evil of the Devil. Its central moral concern is the possibility of forgiveness for people marked by past sin.
The film’s warning about spiritual evil echoes Scripture: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Its emphasis on redemption also points toward the hope that sin and evil do not have the final word.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Mostly mixed pagan worldview with some strong elements of Christian and biblical morality that include a themes of redemption, forgiveness, positive mention of God, Scripture is shown at the beginning (I Peter 5:8) as well as Catholic character references crucifix several times but prays to Mary (which may upset some Protestant believers), one brief anti-capitalist element as businessman is depicted as a fraud and taking part in Ponzi schemes; 16 obscenities; strong violence includes several implied violent attacks by the Devil on people (though no attack is explicitly depicted the after effects are shown), man commits suicide by jumping out a building window, woman is cut in darkness, mirror glass shattered and man is found dead with a shard of the mirror in his neck, man falls in elevator shaft and dies, woman is found hanging in an elevator, man is implied to be electrocuted and his charred body is found, dead body seen with broken neck, implied woman is stabbed and bleeding out, hit and run in car with woman and her baby dying, bodies from the car accident are shown; no depicted sexual content but one crude sexual comment and woman thinks that a man trapped in the elevator with her grabs her backside as the light flickers back and forth even though it is revealed that it is the evil spirit (i.e., the Devil) moving past her; no nudity, but woman wears low-cut blouse; implied drinking while driving and police officer meets with his AA sponsor and it is revealed he is a recovering alcoholic; and, some blackmail, lying, deception, and Devil has come to reap the souls of all the people trapped on the elevator because of their past sins.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Detective Bowden carries anger and unforgiveness after tragedy. What might forgiveness require when grief is still present?
Ephesians 4:31–32 · Colossians 3:13The film presents redemption as stronger than evil. Where do you see God’s power over sin and darkness in Scripture?
Colossians 1:13–14 · 1 John 4:4A character uses prayer and references Scripture, but the film also includes mixed spiritual ideas. How can Christians test spiritual claims against God’s Word?
1 John 4:1 · Acts 17:11The film opens with a reference to the Devil’s activity. What does 1 Peter 5:8 tell believers to do in response?
1 Peter 5:8–9 · James 4:7The Final Word
DEVIL offers strong suspense and a surprisingly redemptive moral premise, but its violence, foul language, and mixed worldview make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For mature, media-wise adults, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For a family movie night, begin with.
