Music video director Barnaby Roper’s All the Devils are Here takes its title from a line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Hell is empty and the real evil is here on earth. In Roper’s character-driven thriller, a heist that goes off the rails thrusts four complete strangers into a claustrophobic nightmare scenario that strips bare their worst instincts.
The film starts with a heist that quickly establishes the hierarchy within the newly formed gang. The job is supposed to be a simple robbery, but Grady (Sam Claflin), a brutal and unpredictable career criminal, viciously attacks an employee and a security guard with little provocation. Ronnie (Eddie Marsan), the even-keeled leader who prefers to pull off jobs as professionally as possible, struggles to keep Grady in line. Royce (Tienne Simon), their designated getaway driver, is a newcomer in way over his head.
The fourth member didn’t actively participate in the heist. He’s the numbers guy, fittingly called Numbers (Burn Gorman), who has a nasty drug problem and a flair for the theatrical.
A mysterious Mr. Reynolds had his minion, Laing (Rory Kinnear), assemble the gang and deliver specific instructions: no violence and no deviating from the plan. And while Grady left bodies in his wake at the crime scene, Ronnie is determined to stick to the rest of the plan. Even a horrible accident on their drive to a remote cabin doesn’t deter Ronnie from abiding by Reynolds’ rules.
The setting plays a central role in creating much of the film’s tension. Following the heist, the gang find themselves holed up in a remote, rundown farmhouse that evolves into a pivotal character in their story. As the hours sluggishly tick by, the house’s bleakness mirrors the four criminals’ deteriorating mental states. All the simmering tension and frustration bubble to the surface when these disparate (and desperate) characters are forced into continued isolation by a boss they can’t even contact. What results from this untenable situation are violent, explosive clashes that are predictable yet still shocking.
First-time feature film director Roper assembled an impressive cast, with Eddie Marsan at the top of his game as the ex-con who only wants to pull off one final job before putting an end to his life of crime. Sam Claflin digs his teeth into a role unlike any he’s played before, bringing a raw intensity to a character who relishes cruelty and thrives on violence. Burn Gorman’s Numbers is detached from the threesome, yet integral to the overall dynamic. Gorman’s catlike take on Numbers is captivating, and his passive presence adds to the sense of unease. And Tienne Simon does a terrific job of conveying the naïveté of fledgling criminal Royce, who masks his insecurities under a layer of false bravado.
With a chilling atmosphere, fantastic performances, and a story that constantly keeps you guessing, All the Devils are Here is a solid choice for fans of psychological thrillers. And as the title suggests, you may find that the true demons are closer than you think. The film’s final act delivers a knockout punch that, even if you saw it coming, still leaves you reeling.
GRADE: B
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
Release Date: September 26, 2025 (Limited theaters and streaming)
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