Elevators can be scary places, especially when that elevator music is playing.  But when the lights start flickering, the elevator gets stuck between floors and you are trapped with strangers and possibly Satan, a new level of terror sets in. Less is more in the taut 80 minute Devil, produced and based on a short story by M. Night Shyamalan. The film is tense, chilling and satisfying. And it is fun.

Devil takes place in a fictional high rise office building in Center City Philadelphia. The building has a security desk where you need to sign in, banks of elevators and throngs of people. But is there something special about elevator six and the five people who are mysteriously trapped? Most of the chills happen in the elevator where the mechanic (Logan Marshall-Green), older woman (Jenny O’Hara), younger woman (Bojana Novakovic), security guard (Bokeem Woodbine) and annoying salesman (Geoffrey Arend) begin to squabble and panic. The film alternates between the elevator and rescue efforts by police detective Bowden (Chris Messina) and building security men Ramirez (Jacob Vargas) and Lustig (Matt Craven). But how do you fight Satan?

There are no big name stars in this cast; instead we have a group of effective actors who all turn in strong performances. Chris Messina (Away We Go and Julie and Julia), who I like in everything, makes Detective Bowden likeable and sympathetic. Ubiquitous character actor Matt Craven is believable as Lustig, a rational building employee who scoffs at the supernatural.  The actors playing the characters trapped in the elevator keep us interested in their shared fates. Handsome Logan Marshall-Green keeps us guessing about his character’s motivation. Geoffrey Arend manages to be funny as the annoying salesman you would want to avoid. Jenny O’Hara is especially good as the quirky older woman ready to spray everyone with mace.

My only complaint about this film is that I would have liked a little more character development all around. The discussion of Detective Bowden’s past seems rushed and the scant details about the lives of the characters trapped in the elevator come so quickly they barely register. But the tight screenplay by Brian Nelson contains nothing superfluous and stays focused on the situation at hand.  Director John Erick Dowdle uses some wonderful aerial shots and a crisp pace, enhancing the tension and the thrills.

Shyamalan says he was inspired by Hitchcock here, and maybe that explains why I like this film.  The film scared me, but not enough to give me nightmares. There was nothing especially graphic, but certain scenes elicited screams from the audience. I found the underlying morality theme satisfying. While Devil is not as good a horror film as the exceptional (and underrated) Jennifer’s Body, it is one of stronger post The Sixth Sense Shyamalan projects.  Apparently, Devil is the first in a planned trilogy. I look forward to more of these superior Shyamalan inspired scares.

Devil. Directed by John Erick Dowdle.  Chris Messina (Detective Bowden), Logan Marshall-Green (Mechanic), Jenny O’Hara (Old Woman), Bojana Novakovic (Young Woman), Bokeem Woodbine (Guard), Geoffrey Arend (Salesman), Jacob Vargas (Ramirez) and Matt Craven (Lustig) Universal Pictures, 2010.

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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