The Late Night With The Devil soundtrack is one of those horror scores that works because it understands restraint. Composed by Roscoe James Irwin and Glenn Richards, it was released on vinyl in 2024, with Discogs listing the soundtrack LP under the title Late Night With The Devil – Original Soundtrack.
As a review, this is not a score that tries to bludgeon you with horror stings every thirty seconds. It is much slyer than that. The whole film lives and dies on atmosphere, especially that uncanny 1970s late-night TV feel, and the music gets that balance right. It sounds period-aware without turning into parody. There is a smoky, analog unease running through it, like old broadcast warmth starting to rot at the edges. That is exactly what the film needs. Instead of screaming “horror soundtrack,” it creeps up on you through mood, texture, and suggestion.
What makes it land is that it does two jobs at once. On one level, it supports the fake television world, the on-air polish, the studio-band sheen, the eerie confidence of live broadcast entertainment. On another, it lets the dread slowly bleed through that surface. That tension is the whole point of Late Night With The Devil, and the soundtrack mirrors it well. It feels composed for the setting rather than pasted onto it.
The best thing about the score is that it does not overplay its hand. A lot of modern horror soundtracks mistake loudness for menace. This one is much more interested in pacing and contamination. You get the sense of something wrong building behind the curtains before the music ever needs to announce it outright. That gives the soundtrack replay value outside the film too. It works as a standalone listen because it is not just scene-to-scene utility. It has a coherent tone.
If there is a limitation, it is that this is a mood piece more than a big theme-driven soundtrack. People looking for one instantly iconic main motif may find it subtler than expected. But honestly, that is part of its strength. The score feels designed to haunt the room rather than dominate it.
