Late Night with the Devil

The movie begins with a voice-over describing the chaotic and violent early 1970s. Amidst this tumultuous backdrop, viewers found solace in the late-night talk show "Night Owls," hosted by Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). Unlike Johnny Carson's show, "Night Owls" was known for its array of peculiar guests. Jack's endeavor was continuously supported by his wife Madeleine (Georgina Haig), who passed away from lung cancer in 1976, causing a subsequent decline in the show's popularity. By 1977, on Halloween night, Jack aims to revitalize his show with a special episode, which, as the narrator reveals, constitutes the last known recording of the show, offering a peek behind the scenes.

The episode's focus is on the supernatural, with Jack teasing an evening of eerie guests. The first guest, a claimed psychic named Christou (Fayssal Bazzi), attempts to showcase his psychic abilities with cold readings. He tries to connect with a deceased woman, mistakenly identifying her and her husband in the audience, but recovers by engaging with a mother and daughter about their relative's suicide, which they acknowledge as true. However, Christou is disturbed by a piercing sound during his reading and inquires about the name "Minnie." The segment is abruptly halted for a commercial break.

Off-air, Jack informs his producer Leo Fiske (Josh Quong Tart) that "Minnie" was a secret nickname for Madeleine, known only to them, heightening Leo's worries about the show's direction, while Christou appears noticeably distressed.

As the program resumes, Carmichael The Conjurer (Ian Bliss), a skeptic and former magician, is introduced as the next guest to challenge Christou's psychic assertions, aiming to expose them as mere illusions to the viewers. Jack supports Christou by sharing the significance of "Minnie," his wife's nickname. The debate between Christou and Carmichael escalates until Christou violently vomits black bile, prompting an emergency cut to commercials as he's taken to the hospital, leaving the crew in shock.

Following this, June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), a parapsychologist, and Lilly (Ingrid Torelli), a 13-year-old who survived a cult's mass suicide, appear on the show. Lilly introduces "Mr. Wriggles," an entity she claims to communicate with. Despite Carmichael's skepticism, Jack decides to proceed with a seance led by June after the break. In the meantime, Jack learns of Christou's death but instructs Leo to keep it under wraps.

The seance unfolds with "Mr. Wriggles" manifesting through Lilly, altering her appearance and voice to a demonic state. The entity confronts Jack, insinuating a past affair with June and hinting at a prior encounter "by the tall trees." The studio's electricity surges erratically as Lilly levitates, prompting June to sever the spiritual connection and conclude the seance abruptly.

Following the commercial interlude, Carmichael invites Jack to demonstrate his own ability to deceive the audience. He enlists Jack's co-star, Gus McConnell (Rhys Auteri), for the act. Using a pocket watch, Carmichael hypnotizes Gus, who then behaves as if he's infested with worms, frantically tearing at his own stomach to extract them. This culminates in a grotesque illusion where a worm seems to burst from Gus's head. With a snap of his fingers, Carmichael reverses the hypnotic suggestion, and Gus is unharmed; the replay confirms Gus was under the impression he was overrun with worms.

Jack, unconvinced, reviews the seance's footage, affirming that the supernatural occurrences with Lilly were real. A pause in the footage uncovers a ghastly image of Madeleine's ghost beside him. Lilly's transformation into a demonic form causes chaos on set, leading to Gus's neck being twisted, Carmichael's fiery death, and the demise of June and Leo. The terrified audience scrambles to escape.

Jack is then plagued by disturbing visions of his past shows, eventually confronting the reality of his involvement with the same Satanic sect Lilly escaped from. His wife Madeleine's cancer is implied to be a sinister trade-off for his prosperity, despite her never having smoked. In a final, distressing scene, Jack is with Madeleine as she languishes, pleading for release from her suffering. Spotting a dagger nearby, Jack fulfills her plea, ending her torment with a fatal thrust.

Jack comes to his senses and realizes that he has mistakenly stabbed and killed Lilly instead. He is left standing amid the carnage on his set, with the sound of police sirens approaching, as he remains frozen in shock, continuously whispering to himself, "Dreamers stay awake..."