His attempts to challenge and defeat his talk show competitor Johnny Carson introduces Dastmalchian’s character as a fame-hungry, guilt-ridden host. Dastmalchian thrived as a lead role, his performance both chilling and astonishing, managing to portray grief, greed, and loss in a subtle, but effective, way.
Starring alongside him on the show is Laura Gordan’s psychiatrist and her young, harrowing patient, Ingrid Torelli, the only survivor of a satanic cult. Torelli’s performance in phenomenal, maintaining an intense amount of eye contact with the viewer… They are challenged by Ian Bliss, the sceptic, unable to believe in paranormal activity.
While the concept reigns unique and interesting, each plot remains somewhat predictable, though the ending leaves a horrifying impact on the viewer. The cinematography and set designs are astounding, with the theme of the 70s deeply intertwined with every shot. One of the main issues with the horror/comedy was for me, it leaned more into the comedic genre, with the horror being subtle but effective, nonetheless. Overall, the predictability leaves a little more to be desired, but I cannot fault its originality.
Plenty of controversy has surfaced regarding the use of AI images within the movie’s 70s style commercial cutaways. Where do we draw the line with the use of AI? While the directors are open about their experimentation with artificial images, it raises questions about the future of AI in film. Is this to be accepted? Though it is only three images, this could become a slippery slope for the future of media, especially artists.