One of the most anticipated releases of 2020 has been The Devil All The Time, a Netflix film with an all-star cast: Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Sebastian Stan, Harry Melling, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska, Haley Bennett, Jason Clarke, and Riley Keough.
The film is narrated by Donald Ray Pollock, the author of the book upon which the film is based. Set in Ohio across a span of several decades, the film intertwines the stories of multiple characters, some of whom don't even know each other, yet their fates are still intertwined. As the title suggests, religion has a lot to do with the story, as does the Southern setting.
10 "It Seemed To His Son That His Father Was Fighting The Devil All The Time."
As the narrator introduces viewers to the film's themes and plot, he explains Willard's past and Arvin's childhood. Willard, having just returned from serving in the Vietnam War, has been unable to pray to God after the trauma he has experienced.
But after marrying Charlotte and the birth of his son, Willard feels inclined to pray again. He regularly takes Arvin to a cross he's assembled in the woods by the house. The narrator gives viewers some insight into what Arvin thinks of this.
9 "Some People Just Need A Little Help Once In A While."
Willard stops in at a diner on his way home to see his parents. While there, he meets a waitress named Charlotte, who will become his wife. At their first meeting, before he can talk to her, a man bursts in and disrupts the moment.
Charlotte excuses herself, and outside, Willard sees her give him some money despite his ruffian-like ways. Willard tells her that was a nice thing to do, and she explains that it's better to help before judging.
8 "Ain't No Human Head Big Enough To Calculate Misery Like That."
Viewers first meet Roy Lafferty when he's invited into the church to preach. Helen is immediately taken with him, and he notices her among the pews.
He starts talking about death and fear, and how a million years is such a long time that there's no point even trying to "count that up." He continues, "Ain't no human head big enough to calculate misery like that."
7 "It Wasn't That Bad, Mama."
One of the first scenes of the movie is Willard's awful encounter in Vietnam. One of his friends has been crucified, left bloody on a cross. To Willard's shock, he's still alive.
Willard is forced to shoot him dead, but the moment stays with him. He can't bring himself to practice religion again, not for a long time. Still, when he arrives home he tells his worried mom that it wasn't that bad, and smiles.
6 "F*** You, Carl!"
About halfway through the movie, Sandy plans to take off and abandon Carl. By this point, she's over their sick perversions. She packs her things and is sitting in her car in the middle of the night, debating.
At last, she pulls out of the lot, then stops. "F*** you, Carl!" she exclaims in frustration. She pulls the car into reverse then parks it back where it belongs. Angry at herself and resenting Carl, she tells him she couldn't sleep.
5 "Only In The Presence Of Death Could He Feel The Presence Of Something Like God."
The first time viewers see Carl and Sandy commit one of their atrocious crimes, the narrator feels the need to explain why Carl does this. He says that Sandy doesn't understand that for Carl, this was his religion.
Like Roy Lafferty, Carl feels a sense of power and almightiness when he commits an act as terrible as murder. Sandy doesn't feel this; she only feels disgusted or hollow.
4 "Delusions!"
Robert Pattinson's Southern accent has been the subject of much criticism and mockery, but he nails one scene above all others. He's talking about the omnipresence of delusions.
The way he enunciates the word - and the rest of this speech - is almost comic, but also makes his character seem obsessive and fanatical. He starts to list everywhere he has seen delusions, including in Jesus's actions.
3 "Lenora Suddenly Knew She Was Making A Mistake."
Though it isn't shown on screen, it is heavily implied that the preacher forces himself onto Lenora, who is confused and unsure of what to do. Like her mother, she believes that the preacher is God's messenger.
Lenora learns that she's pregnant, but she doesn't tell anyone except for Reverand Preston Teagardin. He takes advantage of her cluelessness and innocence to tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about. Thus, Lenora feels isolated, and as if she's sinned. She goes home, ties a noose around her neck, but changes her mind at the last second.
2 "Nobody Would Know She Wasn't A Suicide, And That In The End, She Was Alright With Her Maker."
Lenora is standing on her bucket when she realizes she doesn't want to commit suicide. She realizes that her grandmother would accept and help her and that the child would be alright.
Still, the sight of her hanging by her neck points to suicide, and nobody knows otherwise. When Arvin learns that she was pregnant, his suspicions are only confirmed.
1 "I Ain't Gonna Take The Blame For No Bastard Child!"
The showdown between Arvin and Teagardin comes to a head when Arvin points his gun right at him. Suddenly, the preacher's pathetic nature is revealed. Pattinson expertly portrays the preacher's fear mixed with his deflating ego and fraying dignity.
He tells Arvin that the lies are Lenora's, that she was delusional, and that she came to him like the other girls he's been taking advantage of. He starts pleading with Arvin, saying that coming clean would ruin him. But Arvin doesn't want him to come clean; he wants him to pay.
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September 28, 2020 at 05:30AM
