The Devil's Hour
| The Devil's Hour | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Tom Moran |
| Written by | Tom Moran |
| Starring | |
| Music by | The Newton Brothers |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 11 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production locations | |
| Cinematography |
|
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 57–70 minutes |
| Production companies | Hartswood Films Amazon Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Amazon Prime Video |
| Release | October 28, 2022 – present |
The Devil's Hour is a British drama thriller television series created by Tom Moran, and executive produced by Steven Moffat through his production company Hartswood Films. The first series consists of six episodes, and premiered on 28 October 2022 on Amazon Prime Video. In November 2022, the programme was renewed for a second and third series.[1] The second series consists of five episodes, and premiered on 18 October 2024.[2]
Plot
[edit]Lucy Chambers is a social worker dealing with family and relationship woes. She wakes every night at exactly 3:33 AM, after experiencing terrifying visions during the so-called devil's hour. Her eight-year-old son is withdrawn and emotionless. Her mother speaks to empty chairs. Her house is haunted by the echoes of a life that is not her own. Lucy's name is inexplicably connected to a string of brutal murders in the area, and she is drawn into the hunt for a serial killer.
Cast and characters
[edit]- Jessica Raine as Lucy Chambers, predominantly a social worker suffering from insomnia / brief cliffhanger as a Detective Inspector (Series 1); alternating social worker / DI, in different iterations of her recurring life (Series 2)
- Peter Capaldi as Gideon Shepherd, a mysterious criminal who "remembers" the future
- Nikesh Patel as Ravi Dhillon, a DI with haemophobia (series 1); alternating DI / DS, in different iterations of his recurring life (Series 2)
- Alex Ferns as DS Nick Holness, Dhillon's partner and colleague
- Meera Syal as Dr Ruby Bennett, a child psychologist treating Isaac
- Barbara Marten as Sylvia Chambers, Lucy's mother who suffers from dementia and schizophrenia
- Phil Dunster as Mike Stevens, Lucy's estranged husband and Isaac's father (Series 1)
- Benjamin Chivers as Isaac Stevens, Lucy and Mike's emotionally troubled son, also momentarily present in iterations where Lucy did not marry Mike nor have a son
- Saffron Hocking as Sam Boyd (Series 2)
- Thomas Dominique as Lee Warren
- Rhiannon Harper-Rafferty as Debbie Warren
Episodes
[edit]Series overview
[edit]Series 1 (2022)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "3.33" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 28, 2022 | |
|
Lucy is trying to help her son Isaac who seems to be suffering an emotional disorder. She's also having nightmares that wake her the same time every night. Meanwhile, DI Dhillon is investigating the murder of an elderly man in his home. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Velveteen Rabbit" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 28, 2022 | |
|
Lucy and Dr Bennett try hard to connect with Isaac, with little success, as his behaviour becomes more disturbing. DI Dhillon and DS Holness search desperately for the right Lucy Chambers, realizing too late they're after the wrong target. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Tchaikovsky" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 28, 2022 | |
|
Lucy and the police search frantically for Isaac. Lucy visits Mrs Slade, making a discovery that sends the investigation in a shocking new direction. Lucy's mother does something amazing. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "After the Storm" | Isabelle Sieb | Tom Moran | October 28, 2022 | |
|
Lucy exploits her connection with Dhillon to track down an elusive teenager, worried he is being targeted by their prime suspect. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Half of Ourselves We Have Lost" | Isabelle Sieb | Tom Moran | October 28, 2022 | |
|
Following a tragic twist of fate, Dhillon teams up with Lucy to track down the mysterious stranger at the centre of the chaos. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Amor Fati" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 28, 2022 | |
|
With the suspect in custody, the answers to life's mysteries are within Lucy's reach. But will she believe them? | ||||||
Series 2 (2024)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "DI Chambers" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 18, 2024 |
| 8 | 2 | "Red Lines" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 18, 2024 |
| 9 | 3 | "Something Beginning With D" | Shaun James Grant | Tom Moran | October 18, 2024 |
| 10 | 4 | "Far Away" | Shaun James Grant | Tom Moran | October 18, 2024 |
| 11 | 5 | "Birth of a Tragedy" | Johnny Allan | Tom Moran | October 18, 2024 |
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]In December 2019, it was announced Tom Moran was developing The Devil's Hour for Amazon.[3] In June 2021, it was announced Amazon had greenlit the series. The series is written, created, and executive produced by Tom Moran.[4] Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue also executive produce the series. The series is produced by Hartswood Films.[5] Johnny Allan and Isabelle Sieb were set to direct episodes of the series.[6][5]
Casting
[edit]In mid-June 2021, Jessica Raine and Peter Capaldi were cast as the leads.[6] Nikesh Patel, Meera Syal, Alex Ferns, Phil Dunster, Barbara Marten, Thomas Dominique, Rhiannon Harper-Rafferty, John Alastair, Sandra Huggett, and Benjamin Chivers were also cast.[6]
Title sequence
[edit]The title sequence is a stylised interpretation of a 'vortex',[7] featuring kaleidoscopic effects and bright colour overlays. It was made in London by Peter Anderson Studio.[7]
Music
[edit]The series' score is composed by The Newton Brothers, and the soundtrack album was released on October 28, the same day as the series release.[8]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Devil's Hour Main Titles I" | 1:35 |
| 2. | "3:33" | 3:11 |
| 3. | "Sleepwalking" | 4:11 |
| 4. | "Pink Sunflowers" | 1:31 |
| 5. | "Meredith Warren" | 3:17 |
| 6. | "Dreams" | 1:38 |
| 7. | "The Lodge" | 3:08 |
| 8. | "There Is No Beginning, No End – I" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Concentric Circles" | 4:40 |
| 10. | "Putting Together the Pieces" | 1:19 |
| 11. | "Dear Lucy" | 3:23 |
| 12. | "There Is No Beginning, No End – II" | 2:15 |
| 13. | "I Need It to Be Over – Reprise" | 3:25 |
| 14. | "I Need It to Be Over – The Darkness" | 3:13 |
| 15. | "I Need It to Be Over – The Light" | 4:07 |
| 16. | "Speed Kings" | 1:13 |
| 17. | "Malcolm" | 3:07 |
| 18. | "Halstead's Paradise" | 2:59 |
| 19. | "I Need to Know" | 1:11 |
| 20. | "The Red Box (Whiskey Concussion)" | 3:08 |
| 21. | "And Again and Again" | 3:32 |
| 22. | "Emotional Anomaly" | 3:01 |
| 23. | "Scents of Balance" | 3:51 |
| 24. | "There Is No Beginning, No End – III" | 3:41 |
| 25. | "There Is No Beginning, No End – IV" | 6:27 |
| 26. | "The Devil's Hour Main Titles VI" | 0:55 |
| Total length: | 77:48 | |
Release
[edit]The Devil's Hour premiered on 28 October 2022 on Amazon Prime Video, and consists of six episodes.[4] The second season released on 18 October 2024 consists of five episodes.
Reception
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes 95% of 19 critic reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10.[9] On Metacritic it has a score of 71 based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the first episode four stars out of five, praising Raine and Capaldi's performances.[11] Amanda Whiting of The Independent gave the first two episodes four out of five stars, dubbing it "haunting".[12] Jasper Rees of The Daily Telegraph gave it three stars, remarking that "There’s certainly pleasure to be had from the denouement, and from Raine’s protean turn as the figure trapped in a horror mystery. But some may find that gratification is too teasingly postponed."[13]
Martin Carr of the Radio Times also gave it three stars, stating, "The Devil's Hour fails to concisely pull all its puzzle pieces together and satisfy. There is a sense of kitchen sink in the construction, which may make audiences think twice before investing valuable time in this convoluted premise."[14]
References
[edit]- ^ Goldbart, Max; Whittock, Jesse; Goodfellow, Melanie (22 November 2022). "Fearne Cotton Behind Sky Kids Drama As Channel Goes Linear; Prime Video's 'The Devil's Hour' Renewed For Seasons Two & Three; Eagle Eye Animation; 'A Cosmology Of Monsters'; Lenny Abrahamson Joins DIFF Board – Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ "Prime Video Shares First Peek at Second Season of "The Devil's Hour"" (Press release). Amazon. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ White, Peter; Kanter, Jake (27 December 2019). "The British Invasion: Ten Rising TV Scribes To Watch Out For In 2020". Deadline. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b Squires, John (19 May 2022). ""The Devil's Hour" – Amazon Prime Video Teaser Trailer Wakes Up to Terror at 3:33am". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ a b Kanter, Jake (2 March 2021). "Amazon Sets Creepy Thriller Series 'The Devil's Hour' From 'Dracula' & 'Sherlock' Producer Hartswood". Deadline. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b c Kanter, Jake (22 June 2021). "'The Devil's Hour': Jessica Raine, Peter Capaldi To Headline Amazon Thriller Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b "The Devil's Hour Title Sequence". Peter Anderson Studio. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Soundtrack Album for Amazon's 'The Devil's Hour' to Be Released". Film Music Reporter. 27 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "The Devil's Hour: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "The Devil's Hour". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (28 October 2022). "The Devil's Hour review – proof that Peter Capaldi is the world's most terrifying actor". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Whiting, Amanda (28 October 2022). "The Devil's Hour review: Sinister, evocative thriller introduces this Halloween's creepiest kid". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Rees, Jasper (28 October 2022). "The Devil's Hour, review: Capaldi returns to time-travel in spooky update on the plain old police drama". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ Carr, Martin (28 October 2022). "The Devil's Hour review: A distinctly average supernatural thriller". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.