The Devil All the Time (2020)

This American gothic drama is not only based on a book, but very much like a book, in that you’re not propelled along the surface the way you are in most mystery/crime flicks, rather you find yourself getting immersed deeply in its ebb and flow. In fact, I’d contend that the film would be better categorized as a period drama spotlighting  seedy characters, than the crime drama or mystery/thriller labels it has been assigned. It’s a slow burn into the moral abyss of a particular time and place in our history, and arguably when the credits finally roll, it’s exactly that they succeeded in pulling you into that time and place, and how well this movie is crafted, that you come away appreciating far more than the story itself. For me at least, it’s the kind of movie you have to be in the right mood for, and fortunately, I was when I watched it.