The Devil All the Time

The Devil All the Time is a 2020 American Southern Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Antonio Campos and based on Donald Ray Pollock’s 2011 novel of the same name.

The Devil All the Time is a 2020 American Southern Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Antonio Campos and based on Donald Ray Pollock’s 2011 novel of the same name. Set in rural Ohio and West Virginia from the end of World War II to the 1960s, it follows intersecting stories shaped by violence, faith, and corruption. The film features an ensemble cast led by Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, and others.

Premise

The film follows several interconnected characters in small-town Ohio and West Virginia, with the central story focused on Arvin Russell. Their lives intersect through cycles of violence, religious fervour, and family trauma.

Production and adaptation

Antonio Campos directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Paulo Campos. It adapts Donald Ray Pollock’s novel and uses Pollock himself as narrator, preserving the book’s regional and moral atmosphere.

Cast

The ensemble cast includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska, and Harry Melling. Tom Holland stars as Arvin Russell, a young man trying to protect his loved ones.

Release and reception

The film premiered in 2020 and began streaming on Netflix on September 16, 2020, with a limited theatrical release in some markets. It received an R rating for violence, sexual content, graphic nudity, and language. Reviews were mixed to negative, with many critics noting its bleak tone, graphic violence, and sprawling narrative.