The Story of Devil's Due and Its Premise
Devil's Due follows newlyweds Zach and Samantha McCall as they return from a romantic honeymoon in France, only to discover that Samantha's unexpected pregnancy isn't the joyful blessing it initially seems. What unfolds is a descent into paranoia and supernatural terror, told through the lens of handheld cameras and security footage—the found-footage approach that dominated horror in the early 2010s. The film banks on the intimate vulnerability of a young couple facing an inexplicable threat, but it's also saddled with the genre's inherent limitations: shaky cam, contrived reasons to keep filming, and the constant question of why nobody just calls the police and solves the problem in twenty minutes.
Behind the Making of Devil's Due
Devil's Due marked the full-length feature directorial debut of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directing duo who'd later become known as Radio Silence. Working from a screenplay by Lindsay Devlin, the pair brought the film to life as a co-production between TSG Entertainment, Davis Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox. The cast includes Allison Miller as Samantha and Zach Gilford as her husband, supported by Sam Anderson in a supporting role. Released on January 17, 2014, the film arrived during a crowded January horror season—historically a dumping ground for studios, though occasionally a launching pad for breakout hits. The project didn't quite achieve that breakthrough status. It earned $15,821,461 at the box office worldwide, a modest return that reflected middling audience reception. The film garnered three award nominations overall, though none from major ceremonies. It carries an R rating and clocks in at a brisk 89 minutes—short enough that you won't feel like you've wasted an entire evening, but long enough to feel the pacing issues.
What Makes Devil's Due Stand Out (And What Doesn't)
Here's the thing about Devil's Due: critics and audiences largely didn't buy what it was selling. The film holds a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a Metascore of 34, and a 4.2 out of 10 on IMDb—numbers that don't lie. What's striking is that the film's core concept—a pregnancy corrupted by demonic forces, told through the intimate documentary style of found footage—should've worked. The tagline, "The Devil Always Gets His Due," promises a kind of dark inevitability, a sense that the couple can't escape what's coming for them. But the execution struggles. The performances from Miller and Gilford are earnest enough; they're not the problem. Rather, it's the film's inability to build genuine dread or find anything fresh within the found-footage formula that'd already been exhausted by The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and countless imitators. The early promise of creeping unease—strange bruises, unexplained gaps in memory, unsettling behavior from strangers—gradually deflates into predictable jump scares and plot mechanics that feel borrowed from a dozen other supernatural pregnancy thrillers. What nobody mentions is how the film's reliance on the camera-as-character gimmick actually undercuts the emotional stakes; we're so busy wondering why Zach keeps filming that we can't quite connect with his and Samantha's genuine terror.
Where to Stream Devil's Due Online
If you're curious to see what all the fuss—or lack thereof—is about, Devil's Due is available on major OTT streaming services. You can check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page on Movie OTT to see which platforms currently carry the film in your region, since availability shifts regularly. Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across multiple services, so you won't have to bounce between apps hunting for where it's actually available. The film's short runtime makes it an easy weekend watch if you're in the mood for found-footage horror, even if critical consensus suggests you might want to temper your expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who directed Devil's Due?
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directing team known as Radio Silence, made their feature directorial debut with this film. They've since gone on to direct the Scream franchise reboot and other projects with considerably more critical success.
Q: Is Devil's Due based on a true story?
No, Devil's Due is a fictional supernatural horror film written by Lindsay Devlin. While it uses the found-footage style that mimics reality, the story of demonic possession and an unholy pregnancy is entirely invented.
Q: Where can I watch Devil's Due?
Devil's Due is available on major OTT streaming platforms. Check the "Where to Watch" widget on this page for current availability in your region, as streaming rights vary by location and change over time.
Q: What's the runtime of Devil's Due?
The film runs 89 minutes, making it a relatively quick horror watch compared to many feature films.
Q: Why did Devil's Due receive poor reviews?
Critics and audiences felt the film relied too heavily on found-footage clichés without bringing fresh ideas to the supernatural pregnancy horror subgenre. The Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 21%, and the IMDb rating is 4.2 out of 10, reflecting widespread disappointment with the execution despite an interesting premise.
Final Thoughts on Devil's Due
Devil's Due isn't a complete disaster—it's competently made and features genuine effort from its cast and crew. But it arrived too late to the found-footage party and didn't bring anything new to the table. If you're a completist of early-2010s horror or found-footage enthusiast, it's worth a curiosity watch. Everyone else might find their time better spent elsewhere. The devil may always get his due, but audiences got the short end of this particular deal.
