NIGHT OF THE DEMON. Still impresses with its story

When watching old films today—not necessarily black-and-white ones, like Night of the Demon —it may happen that we stumble upon titles that clearly inspired contemporary filmmakers, though their existence might come as quite a surprise to viewers unfamiliar with the classics. The heist scene in Topkapi will remind them of the break-in sequence at CIA headquarters in Mission: Impossible; the mask (as well as the subject matter) from Eyes Without a Face will bring to mind The Skin I Live In; and the sequence on the steps in Battleship Potemkin may be compared to the shootout at the train station in The Untouchables.

It’s the newer film that should point us to the older title, not the other way around, but the difficulty—or reluctance—to watch something made half a century ago creates this state of affairs. And there’s nothing wrong with that—if you don’t want to watch something, don’t. Forcing yourself to see the originals just to spot the similarities misses the point somewhat. Especially when the newer production is a good film, with its borrowings serving as a respectful nod to the classics rather than a shameless theft born of creative bankruptcy.

Night of the Demon, directed by Jacques Tourneur in 1957, tells the story of American scientist Dr. John Holden (the very serious Dana Andrews). After arriving in London for a symposium on paranormal phenomena, he learns that his friend Professor Harrington died the night before. Harrington had been investigating a certain Julian Karswell (a phenomenal Niall MacGinnis), founder of a mysterious cult devoted to black magic.

Holden decides to continue his late colleague’s work, but after his very first “chance” encounter with Karswell, he begins to see and hear strange things. He soon discovers that a spell has been cast on him—he has only three days to find a way to break it and save his life. After that, he’ll be killed by a demon, just as Harrington was.

At first glance, it’s not obvious who was inspired by Tourneur’s film. It’s not a remake, after all, but key motifs repeat across both works: the casting of a curse, the three-day countdown before the creature arrives, and even the method of breaking the spell is the same (I won’t reveal it for obvious reasons). I’d bet that when people watched Drag Me to Hell by Sam Raimi, only a handful were aware of Night of the Demon.

I myself saw this 1950s horror some time after Raimi’s film, without realizing how derivative the newer work was—something that surprised me since I didn’t even like it much. Knowing the earlier story isn’t necessary to understand (or possibly appreciate) its modern counterpart, and vice versa—those who’ve only seen Drag Me to Hell might be surprised by Night of the Demon, because what’s most interesting in Tourneur’s film is missing from Raimi’s.

The protagonist, Dr. Holden, is a skeptic who doesn’t believe in supernatural forces or in the demon supposedly coming for him. He sees Karswell more as a manipulator and skilled illusionist than as the real cause of his friend’s death and the demon’s appearance. If it weren’t for one of the opening scenes—in which the titular creature shows up and kills Professor Harrington—even the audience might doubt the diabolical nature of the suspect and his dealings with hellish forces. At first glance, Julian Karswell seems polite and friendly, with a kindly face and eloquence that doesn’t slip into arrogance.

He’s a bit pompous but doesn’t outwardly appear demonic. He even lives in a large house with his beloved mother. Hardly the image of a Satan worshipper! The most surprising thing is that this image isn’t a façade meant to lull Holden and others into a false sense of security—it’s genuine. We sense his darker side beneath the surface, but even he resists it. He even offers Holden a chance to lift the curse and save his life, if only he’ll leave him alone. Karswell is more interested in convincing the skeptic of the demon’s existence—defeating him in that way—than in killing him outright.

The entire film revolves around the attempt to make the skeptical American believe in powers beyond human comprehension. This can be frustrating: everyone around him is convinced of Karswell’s abilities, Holden receives countless proofs himself, yet he still doubts whether what he witnessed can be attributed to infernal forces. That’s why one of the most fascinating and best scenes in Night of the Demon is the moment when Holden finally stops doubting—during a hypnosis session with a former cult member, which ends tragically.

Fifteen years earlier, Tourneur had directed another popular horror film, Cat People, in which he avoided showing things too literally, instead building an atmosphere of mystery, using light, shadow, and sound for the intense scenes. The idea to show the demon in the prologue wasn’t his but the producer’s, which removes any ambiguity about the curse before the main character even appears.

It’s easy to guess what kind of film Tourneur really wanted to make, but that doesn’t diminish the finished work. Night of the Demon has a thick, eerie atmosphere, though there are plenty of moments that make the viewer smile—whether it’s Karswell’s mother holding a séance or the chemistry between Holden and Joanna Harrington (the lovely Peggy Cummins), who wants to uncover the truth behind her uncle’s death.

The screenplay is based on Casting the Runes by M. R. James, though the film relates to the story much as Drag Me to Hell does to Night of the Demon: they share certain elements, but much else has been changed. Today, Tourneur’s film has aged somewhat, but it still impresses with its well-crafted story, chilling atmosphere, and the suspenseful (and surprisingly entertaining) finale on the train. A few words about the demon: it emerges from a cloud of smoke and light, and the effect looks fantastic on screen—but instead of a truly terrifying monster, we get something like a horned Godzilla.

That may sound unfair, given that horror has evolved tremendously since 1957, and I’m watching Night of the Demon from the perspective of someone familiar with The Exorcist, Alien, and The Shining. But consider this a friendly warning: don’t expect the creature itself to inspire fear. Ironically, the wild Raimi handled this far more elegantly—by showing only demonic hands and hellfire. Sometimes less really is more.