The Devil All the Time hit Netflix in September, and with a stellar cast and thrilling tale, it's burst onto the top list of watched movies - and is becoming a fan favorite. This psychological thriller is dark, suspenseful, upsetting, and intriguing, and there are so many layers to these dynamic characters and the two different timelines presented.
From a single watch, there are so many impressive things that could definitely go unnoticed by its viewers. Before fans head back for a second time, they want to know what they didn't see the first time. Here are 10 hidden details from the film that everyone definitely missed.
The Narrator As The 'Actual' Creator
If there isn't one super cool fact from the flick, it's that the author of the novel The Devil All The Time, Donald Ray Pollock, is actually the voice narrator in the film! This is pretty fun, but it's also purposeful.
The narrator is supposed to be the Creator, in both the sense of religion and God, and in the literal sense that he created the story. This double-meaning is definitely an intriguing detail.
The Town Of Knockemstiff (& Its History)
While most viewers probably questioned if this place even existed, it's actually where the author of the novel of The Devil All the Time actually grew up. Besides this fun fact, fans also probably didn't know that the origins of this town are unknown, and kind of interesting.
One theory is that two women were fighting over a guy, and a preacher's advice was to just 'knock him stiff'. This seems unlikely, but it's kind of fitting for the plot of this movie.
Reverend Teagardin's "Delusions" Speech
This speech is not just supposed to convince fans that Reverend Teagardin is a bit arrogant and unhinged, nor is it just an incredible performance by Robert Pattinson.
Rather, it's purposeful, even if it's not super noticeable during the scene it takes place in. It's a perfect metaphor for how faith and fantastical faith are two very different things, and that delusion leads to some pretty terrible things. It's ironic but brilliant.
Sandy Is The Center Of Both Timelines
This might have been obvious to anyone that was paying attention to the beginning scenes, but this detail deserves far more credit than was made obvious in the film. Sandy (Riley Keough) not only meets Willard, but she worked closely with Charlotte (Haley Bennett).
In a strange way, she's connected to both Lenora and Arvin and is one of the only connections that makes it across the two generations of Willard and Arvin. When Arvin and Sandy meet, it's definitely powerful.
The War Side Plot Is Super Relevant
The movie starts with Willard in the war and ends with the narrator commenting on whether or not Arvin will find himself enlisting in the next. This movie takes on a lot of powerful and violent storylines, but the crucifixion metaphor is all too real.
Fans might have thought this backstory was just to set up a flick of suffering and violence, but the Japanese crucifying prisoners only gives a deep contrast to how the characters in the movie rely on their own crucifixions.
The Speech On The Radio In The Final Scene
While Arvin (Tom Holland) struggles to stay awake in the final scene while he's in the stranger's car, Lyndon B. Johnson's voice can be heard on the radio, encouraging people to enlist as America heads into the Vietnam war.
This is not only a parallel to his father's journey but is intriguing since the US actually lost the war - and Arvin considers ing because of his victories. Rather, this is a metaphor for him losing against his own inner demons. Plus, Johnson's speech about men who are hateful is very in-line with Willard's advice, that people are "no good sons of b*tches".
The Lead Characters Injure Their Hands
Speaking of crucifixions, this important part of Christianity and religion goes much further than the war or Willard (Bill Skarsgård) crucifying his son's dog. Throughout the film, Willard, Arvin, and Reverend Teagardin all injure their hands.
Willard and Arvin wipe away their blood after physically assaulting another person, while Reverend Teagardin is first shot in the hand by Arvin. This seems like it could unnoticed, but is a brilliant hidden detail.
The Entire Soundtrack
The soundtrack is a perfect blend of gospel and country tunes, but each song is so devastatingly in-tune with the plot that it's almost a shame that fans would miss it.
From songs about blood and violence to one about a woman who is devastatingly murdered by her husband, the feel of the music is powerful - but it gets a whole lot more interesting when viewers listen to the lyrics. Plus, many of the songs are actually performed by Pokey LaFarge (who plays Theodore)!
Arvin Is The Moral Center - Ironically
This movie is not gentle or secretive about demolishing fantastical religion and questioning humanity and its morals and faith. While it's quite obvious through many of the side plots (the serial killing Christian or the seductive preacher), it throws another stab in.
Arvin is pretty much the only character in the film that has given up on praying, and religion in its whole. All he believes in is justice. Yet somehow, Arvin is the moral center of the film. He gets justice, where faith has failed all the others.
Emma Russell's Faith Was Right All Along
While this flick does pretty much everything it can to criticize and question morality and faith, Emma Russell (Kristin Griffith) - Arvin's grandmother - made a deal with God, and it turned out to be pretty accurate.
She made a promise to God that Willard would marry Helen (Mia Wasikowska), and was worried that something bad would happen if he didn't. While this was kind of comical in the narration, it actually ended up being totally true. This broken promise is the reason for all the devastation, in a twisted and mind-blowing way.