Religion has long stood at the center of American life and culture, for better or worse depending on who you ask. For many individuals, religion has saved their lives and given them purpose. Once religion becomes intertwined with institutions however, the likelihood of abuse as a result of the power that comes with being a religious authority figure has typically been high throughout human history. The latest film available on Netflix takes us through small town America to explore the nexus of religion and culture.
Spanning the time between World War II and the Vietnam War, The Devil All The Time takes place in the rural part of the United States between southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. A cast of sinister characters spanning from an unholy preacher Reverend Teagardin (Robert Pattinson), twisted couple Sandy and Carl Henderson (Jason Clarke and Riley Keough), and crooked sheriff Lee Bodecker (Sebastian Stan) converge around young Arvin Russell (Tom Holland) as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family.
Religion sits at the center of The Devil All The Time as the film serves to examine the hold that faith has on the lives of generations of its adherents and the effect this hold has on their psyche, behavior, and experiences. The cast of characters we encounter are as religious as you would expect in 1950s and 60s Appalachia, but all possess a level of depravity and immorality that contradicts their stated piety. For some characters, such as Arvin’s father Willard (Bill Skarsgård), his negative interaction with faith is less about the abuse he inflicts upon others and more about his transactional view of Christianity and observance of prayer and Jesus Christ as Christmas wish list to Santa Claus that ends tragically when he discovers this isn’t the nature of his religion. Arvin’s grandmother Emma Russell (Kristin Griffith) and stepsister Lenora (Eliza Scanlen) represent the devoutly religious, faithfully following their God and the head of their place of worship, even if that religious leader is undeserving and means them no good. For all others, from Rev. Teagardin to Sheriff Bodecker, they profess to follow the tenets of the Christian faith while in private behaving much differently.
Whether it’s benevolent misguidance or predatory cynicism, the characters at the center of The Devil All The Time feel like a meditation on how religion comes to be twisted within the culture of societies, whether it be America or some other locale, and serve as a tool to manipulate or others, or a way in which people torment themselves in an attempt to live up to ideals dictated by leaders who do not truly adhere to them themselves. While religion has often been a path toward redemption and healing for its adherents, the lure it can represent for those who wish to obtain power in order to abuse it and others is just as strong. The effects of this push and pull are lasting, which we also see in the film, as families are harmed across generations due to the ubiquity of unquestioned religion in the area in which they live. The theme is sure to resonate with many, particularly those viewers who grew up in places whose cultures mirror that of The Devil All The Time’s rural setting.
It’s depiction of the impoverished in rural America contains traces of 1940’s Grapes of Wrath, particularly for the character of Arvin who, try as he may, can never seem to escape the trappings of being poor that result in tragedy and ending up on the wrong side of the law, mirroring Henry Fonda’s portrayal of Tom Joad. The interweaving of the lives and stories of the ensemble cast where they meet, separate, and intertwine again is well done and also calls to mind another classic film in Pulp Fiction. Executing this form of storytelling can be easily botched, but director Antonio Campos does a fantastic job of pacing and development to pull off the feat in a way that is satisfying, makes sense, and engaging for the audience. The ensemble cast all bring their A game with Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson leading the way and Eliza Scanlen continuing her rise as a young actress.
Image: Netflix
