‘The Devil and the Daylong Brothers’ – Southern Gothic Is One of This Year’s Best Movies You Haven’t Seen

The Devil and the Daylong Brothers snuck onto my radar last month. A musical/thriller, it’s likely one you’ve never even heard of, but it’s among the year’s best films.

Writer/director Brandon McCormick, who co-wrote the script with Nicholas Kirk, stages an epic cross-country search for the devil. Three brothers – Enoch (Nican Robinson), Ish (Brendan Bradley), and Abe (Jordon Bolden) – have had their souls ripped from their bodies and sold by their father. They must now track him down, all while passionately confessing their deepest, darkest, and innermost thoughts in song. Along their journey, they come across Frankie (Rainey Qualley, Margaret Qualley’s older sister – yes, really!), who supposedly knows where their father, Nehemiah (Keith Carradine), might be hiding. 

The film opens with the absolute barn-burner “‘Til the Burning’s Through,” set in a neon-soaked bar where the trio of brothers show a violent misogynist a lesson or two. It’s the perfect set-up for the kind of bluesy Americana songs the audience can expect throughout the film. Robinson, Bradley, and Bolden display roof-scorching vocal power that’ll knock you over. Their performances are full of yearning, bathed in a monstrous growl that seeks to tear you limb from limb. With humorous, twangy accents, particularly Bradley, who often feels like a caricature (complimentary), the trio emerge as vigilantes with strong moral codes. When someone is in peril, the Daylong Brothers are the first to step up and teach transgressors the error of their ways.

“Hell is at Hand” and “Ties That Bind” are also stand-outs from the soundtrack, equally electric and soul-shaking as the cast pushes the boundaries of their vocals and keeps rhythmic time with the earth-covered melodies. There’s nothing anybody can do when up against Abe, Ish, and Enoch – evidenced through plenty of action-packed sequences (while they’re singing, no less). They go toe-to-toe with various deviants, including a pastor who’s been dabbling in the devil’s work.

The trio revel in pulverizing morally-questionable characters; they suffer no fools and escape by the skin of their teeth. Their heroic journey is one of religious valor. It’s a tale as old as time. Set in a nondescript time period, they force the audience to reckon with their own beliefs and perhaps even light a match underneath their feet.

McCormick works with cinematographer Samuel Laubscher to bring the story to life. Through crisp camera work, the world pulses around the characters. When they’re in motion, so is the camera – offering swivel shots that mirror a character’s emotional state or action sequences that may even make audiences nauseous. But the camera always serves the narrative. There’s a clearly defined purpose to the choices McCormick and Laubscher make. Feeling both classic and contemporary, the film’s style anchors the heightened fantasy world and keeps the characters living in the here and now.

The Devil and the Daylong Brothers feels like something that would have been made in another time. From the dialogue to the presentation, it carries a vintage feel that gives it a timeless shimmer. Even the music seems ripped from the ‘80s or ‘90s Americana scene – a sound that would comfortably sit next to Lucinda Williams, Wilco, or Steve Earle. Blend all these parts, and you get a truly special experience. If you hate musicals, you might as well skip this one – but if your taste includes people singing songs randomly, you’ll surely enjoy the magic here.

The Devil and the Daylong Brothers is now streaming on Prime Video. 

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