The Honeycut: ‘Devil’ is a Surprising Study of Redemption

The Devil Walks Among Us

I first saw 2010’s “Devil” in theaters with my college roommate. We heard what it was about and immediately started making fun of how goofy it all sounded. So, we went and saw it, expecting a good laugh, but came out talking about how much we liked it. 

Fast-forward 16 years, and my co-host, Kevin, on the Midnight Terrors Podcast picked it to cover this week. I’d been meaning to revisit this film, so I was excited. What I didn’t expect was its themes of accountability, forgiveness, and redemption to be handled so well. 

The Story

A group of people all find themselves stuck in an elevator. However, each of these individuals has a dark secret to hide. They start getting killed off one-by-one. Is this a work of a murderer, or is the devil himself among them?

Honey’s Cut

Let’s start with the setting: Philadelphia. I think every M. Night Shyamalan (he wrote the story that was adapted into the screenplay) film takes place in Pennsylvania. It adds to the eeriness to see a horror movie set somewhere you’ve lived. I’m from Pennsylvania and spent a lot of time in Philly. Go Flyers.

Now the plot: four people are stuck in an elevator. It has always been a fear of mine to be trapped in one. My fears were realized in college when I tore both of my ACLs and had to take the elevator while I recovered. My fears were soon realized when I got stuck in one. I’ll never forget hearing the rescue crew drilling and sawing to get me out. Horrifying. You can see why this movie has stuck with me. 

What I like most about this movie is the concept of the devil in it. It begins with a security guard narrating a story about how the devil is able to enter a certain place. For example, it starts with a suicide and he then has free rein to enter that area, which we see reflected in the movie. It sounds more like an old folk tale than any grand religious text. Think, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” or the legend of Blues musician Robert Johnson making a deal with the devil at the crossroads in exchange for amazing guitar playing skills and fame. 

One thing “Devil” does really well is planting doubt. There are some things that can be taken as supernatural. Such as several rescue attempts gone wrong, or a demonic face appearing when the camera glitches. But these can also be explained away through practical reasoning. Is the devil truly behind the elevator getting stuck and the people being killed? Or is it simply a series of unfortunate events? After all, the devil’s greatest trick is convincing the world he doesn’t exist. 

Honey’s Final Thought

It turns out the devil is indeed behind the whole thing. Throughout the movie, we follow Detective Bowden, whose wife and child were killed in a hit-and-run crash. He’s been trying to rescue the people trapped in the elevator.

Coincidentally, the guy who killed Bowden’s family, Tony, is the last person stuck in the elevator with the devil. Long story short, Tony admits to killing Bowden’s wife and child. The detective forgives him but still arrests him. It happens a lot better in the movie, but you get the idea. 

This third act really showcases the movie’s themes. Tony takes accountability for his actions and faces the consequences. Detective Bowden forgives him and for that, he can finally breathe a little easier. In the end, they both have this redemption arc. It’s subtle. It’s messy. Just like real life. 

The film concludes with the security guard narrator saying the story always ended on a hopeful note: if the devil is real, God must also be real. Or, if you’re not religious: if evil exists in the world, there must be some good out there as well.