Going Down

Co-produced and based on an original story by M. Night Shyamalan, the spooky, moderately successful little chiller Devil is about a group of strangers trapped in an elevator who discover that one of them is really -- well, the title sort of gives it away, doesn’t it? -- is the type of stripped-down, glorified B-flick we don’t see much these days. Props to Shyamalan for having the smarts to hire promising newcomers Drew and Erick Dowdle to direct and for lending his name and twists galore for marketing purposes. Devil won’t necessarily haunt your dreams, but it’s good enough for a few tingly “gotcha!” moments, and sometimes that’s enough. The mostly unfamiliar cast (the biggest name is Chris Messina, who played Amy Adams’ hubby in Julie & Julia) adds to the suspense, since it’s hard picking out the boogeyman when you don’t recognize anyone’s face or IMDB résumé. --Milan Paurich