The documentary “The Devil for Alibi”, available on Netflix, looks back on the first legal case in which the murderer pleads demonic possession to defend himself. What is the film worth? Verdict.
In 1981, in Connecticut, in the United States, Arne Cheyenne Johnson, 18, stabbed to death her landlord, Alan Bono, 40. At first glance, this is a settling of scores like many others. But Arne Cheyenne Johnson claims to have been possessed by the devil. His version does not change one iota, until the court where he becomes the first accused to plead demonic possession as his line of defense.
If this story sounds familiar, that’s okay. The case is not so well known in France, but it was recently the subject of a film adaptation, in the third part of the Conjuring saga, released in 2020. The documentary Le Diable pour alibi collects the testimony of the first concerned and dives deeper into this paranormal story which hides many more secrets than one could imagine.
In terms of true crimes and other somewhat gloomy documentaries, the Netflix platform is champion. This new film is very well produced, mixing both archival footage and exclusive interviews. Formally, everything is there. The shock asset? Exclusive audio recordings of 11-year-old David Glatzel being possessed by the devil – that’s when the spirit allegedly took possession of Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s body.
Netflix Arne Cheyenne Johnson
The problem is the substance. The Devil for Alibi aligns the different stories of the Glatzel family and that of Arne Cheyenne Johnson without any contradiction. As if the viewer had to take this story at his word. The famous audio recording is quite impressive, but there is no proof of its authenticity.
It’s only in its last ten minutes that the documentary really becomes interesting because it raises real issues. The first being the involvement of the famous couple Ed and Lorraine Warren – the heroes of Hollywood films. One of the Glatzel children claims their parents were scammed by the “experts”. The latter would have taken advantage of the media coverage of the affair to make money off their backs. No kidding.
Netflix
Ed Warren (left) and Lorraine Warren (right).
The other major revelation concerns the mother of the family. One of the children explains that she hid Sominex – sleeping pills – in the food. This medication has serious health consequences, such as weight gain and hallucinations. Thus, stories of demonic possessions take on a whole new dimension.
At the end of the documentary, we have the feeling of having missed the essential point. If the paranormal story is more selling, the possible involvement of the mother in this drama and the manipulation of the Warren couple are the elements which deserved particular attention. We come away from the Devil as a frustrated alibi, eager to know more about the dark side of this (almost) normal family.
The Devil for Alibi is available on Netflix.