The Devil Inside

The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Jeff Feuerzeig's haunting documentary chronicling the life of folk legend and cult figure Daniel Johnston, leaves the audience mesmerized and terrified—it makes you question everything. The film, for which Feuerzeig won the best-director award at Sundance 2005, is a portrait of the fragile prophet from Chester, West Virginia. Johnston grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian family, producing homespun albums on a cassette recorder, cartoon illustrations, and films shot on super-8. Johnston is an innocent filled with delusions of grandeur, part artistic genius, part amateurish talent. A manic-depressive with a troubled soul, Johnston fears the devil lives within. The film's highlight features him imagining he's Casper the Friendly Ghost and pleading to jump out of the private plane his father is flying. Johnston grabs the controls; the plane crashes. Miraculously, they both survive, and while headed home, they pass a church with a sign that reads GOD PROMISES A SAFE LANDING BUT NOT A CALM VOYAGE. - A. M. HOMES