The Devil All the Time (2020)
Film · Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stream it, ifif you have the stomach for a relentlessly grim and violent exploration of religious fervour and generational trauma.
A sprawling and relentlessly bleak Southern Gothic tale that trades in human depravity and atmospheric dread. It is a punishing watch that offers a heavy character study rather than traditional entertainment.
What it is about
In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters converge around young Arvin Russell as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family.
Trailer
What The Devil All the Time is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this film feels like witnessing a slow-motion collision of shattered lives. The pace is deliberate, allowing a thick, humid atmosphere of dread to settle over every scene. It operates with a heavy intensity, where moments of sudden, brutal violence interrupt long stretches of simmering tension. The tone is uncompromisingly dark, grounded in the dirt of mid-century rural America, and offers no respite from its cynical worldview.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
This is for viewers who appreciate sprawling literary adaptations and Southern Gothic grit. If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller or clear-cut heroes, you should skip it. The film is undeniably grim, and its focus on human depravity can feel suffocating. A notable caveat is the narrative density, which occasionally makes the intersecting plot lines feel cluttered despite the long runtime.
The right evening for it
It suits a quiet, sombre evening when you are prepared for a demanding, heavy-hearted drama. It is best watched when you have the mental energy to process bleak themes without needing immediate catharsis.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
Clip
Clip · Official Clip
How The Devil All the Time leaves you
One line on the mood it ends on, with no plot. Some people count that as a spoiler, so it stays hidden until you ask.
Expect to come away feeling wrung out and unsettled by the cycle of violence, left with a lingering, heavy impression of the cruelty humans inflict upon one another.
How The Devil All the Time ends
Spoilers. The whole ending, in a few lines. Nothing shows until you ask and then confirm.
The film ends with Arvin returning to his childhood home in Knockemstiff to bury his dog’s bones beneath Willard’s rustic cross. Sheriff Lee Bodecker, seeking to protect his reputation and avenge his sister Sandy, tracks Arvin there for a final confrontation. Arvin mortally wounds Lee in a shootout and leaves the evidence of Carl and Sandy's serial murders on the sheriff's body to ensure their crimes are exposed. After burying his father's Luger with the bones, Arvin hitchhikes with a passing hippie headed towards Cincinnati.
As the vehicle travels away, Arvin falls into a weary sleep while contemplating his uncertain future. He imagines his life ahead might mirror the path of his father, Willard, leaving the cycle of violence and faith that defined his upbringing potentially unresolved.
Summarised by our AI from the plot section of the Wikipedia article, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This summary is shared under the same licence.
Stills
Images from TMDB.
If you like this, try
Winter's Bone (2010)
the same harsh realism and desperate rural survivalism
No Country for Old Men (2007)
film · Tense · IMDb 8.2 · In English and Spanish
A cold, masterfully controlled chase film that feels like a modern myth. It is quiet, violent, and utterly relentless, offering a terrifyingly detached antagonist that makes for a high-intensity, albeit bleak, viewing experience.
the bleak tone and sense of inevitable violence
Brimstone (2016)
the dark themes of religious corruption and historical suffering
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More clips
Clip · Robert Pattinson's Brutal Chicken Livers Scene
Clip · Robert Pattinson Accent Clip
Clip · You Got Time For a Sinner? Clip
The Devil All the Time soundtrack
Music by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans
Questions people ask
- Is The Devil All the Time an authentic film?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Authentic, with a tense streak. A sprawling and relentlessly bleak Southern Gothic tale that trades in human depravity and atmospheric dread. It is a punishing watch that offers a heavy character study rather than traditional entertainment.
- How long is The Devil All the Time?
- The Devil All the Time runs 138 min and was released in 2020.
- Where can I watch The Devil All the Time in Australia?
- In Australia, The Devil All the Time is included with Netflix (all plans).
- Where can I watch The Devil All the Time in the UK?
- In the UK, The Devil All the Time is included with Netflix (all plans).
- Who composed the music for The Devil All the Time?
- The music for The Devil All the Time is by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans.
- Is The Devil All the Time worth watching?
- It depends: if you have the stomach for a relentlessly grim and violent exploration of religious fervour and generational trauma. IMDb users rate it 7.1 out of 10 from 167,659 votes, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 65%, Metacritic 55 and TMDB users 7.2.
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