Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Spooky trapped-in-elevator horror tale promotes forgiveness.
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Devil
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 41 kid reviews
Kids say the movie is intense with a lot of blood and gore, making it more suitable for older audiences. Many agree that while it has a decent plot and a surprising twist, it lacks genuine scares and can be a good starter horror film for teens, though it does contain some inappropriate language and mild violence.
- intense experience
- suitable for teens
- minimal scares
- surprising twist
- moderate violence
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
On a typical workday in Philadelphia, five people find themselves trapped in an elevator. As the security and maintenance crew -- and eventually the police -- try to get them out, certain clues begin to suggest that the devil is among them, playing them against one another and destroying them one by one. Each of these five people has a secret that may have brought them together ... and even the police detective, a recovering alcoholic with a dark past, may have a specific reason for being there. Can the humans solve the mystery before the devil destroys everyone?
Is It Any Good?
The movie's low-budget to be sure, but it's streamlined and economic. Ever since he followed a massive hit (The Sixth Sense) with several duds (Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender), M. Night Shyamalan simply doesn't have the clout that he once had. So attaching his name as story writer and producer to this simple horror film adds a certain level of expectation -- and not of the positive variety. Surprisingly, DEVIL isn't that bad.
For a small package, it conjures up some effective ideas and scares, as well as some terrific atmospheric moments, ranging from the odd, upside-down opening credits to a scene of a maintenance man chasing his cap across a wind-blown rooftop. The movie may get a little too smarty-pants toward the final third, but it's easy enough to be drawn under its spell by that point. There's far less at stake here than in Shyamalan's last few letdowns, and it mostly works.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence, blood, and gore. How did it make you feel? How does it compare to what you've seen in other horror movies?
Did the devil give the five people a chance to redeem themselves? What message is the movie sending about revenge? What about forgiveness?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 17, 2010
- On DVD or streaming : December 21, 2010
- Cast : Bojana Novakovic , Bokeem Woodbine , Chris Messina , Logan Marshall-Green
- Director : John Erick Dowdle
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence and disturbing images, thematic material and some language including sexual references
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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