Devil clocks in at only one hour and twenty minutes. Therefore, this review will also be succinct. There's another reason for that: the plot starts rolling right away. The dramatic opening credits - with ominous, heavy music reminiscent of Shutter Island, and striking footage of Philadelphia turned upside down - quickly make way for the action. Ramirez, a security guard at the Philadelphia skyscraper where the movie takes places, tells the audience in his narration about a fable his mother told him. In this fable, the Devil comes to Earth and takes the life of a group of people. This event always begins with a suicide, and innocent people who try to help these sorry souls often die.

The film starts with a suicide. A person jumps off the skyscraper, and Detective Bowden is called to investigate. While he's investigating the scene, five people get into an elevator: an old woman, a cocky salesman, a security guard, an attractive young woman and a young man. The elevator gets stuck. Shortly thereafter, terrible things start happening to the occupants. I can't say more without ruining the plot but suffice it to say, the fable about the devil coming to Earth and the five people in the elevator are very much linked.

The whole movie is slick, brisk and well-acted. The mystery keeps you hooked and the twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat. The claustrophobic environment only adds to the palpable tension. The soundtrack is foreboding and impressive. The cinematography is very well done. Forget what you thought about M. Night Shymalan. He may have been drinking from lead pipes when he made The Happening (or he may have been hit over the head with one), but he's detoxed for this film. Instead of a ridiculous film about killer plants, he's skillfully adapted Brian Nelson's screenplay into a tightly-plotted, well-paced and claustrophobic thriller. He also left the direction in the capable hands of John Erick Dowdle, a man who I must admit I've never heard of but has made a good first impression.

I'll be short and sweet, like the movie's running time: Devil is a fantastic, brooding, immensely entertaining thriller. I highly recommend you go see it.