Is The Devil All the Time based on a true story?

Based on the novel of the same name by Donald Ray Pollock, The Devil All the Time is a psychological thriller flick that will premiere on Netflix in just two days. Directed and co-written by Antonio Campos and produced by Jake Gyllenhaal, the film takes place in Ohio between the end of World War II and the beginning of the Vietnam War.

The film will feature non-linear storytelling, following the lives of various people who are struggling post-war with illness, crime, and corruption. The movie features an ensemble cast, including the talents of Tom Holland, Eliza Scanlen, Bill Skarsgård, Robert Pattinson, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Mia Wasikowska, Harry Melling, and Pokey LaFarge.

Here is the official synopsis:

"In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters—an unholy preacher (Robert Pattinson), twisted couple (Jason Clarke and Riley Keough), and crooked sheriff (Sebastian Stan)—converge around young Arvin Russell (Tom Holland) as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family. Spanning the time between World War II and the Vietnam war, director Antonio Campos’ ‘The Devil All the Time’ renders a seductive and horrific landscape that pits the just against the corrupted."

Considering that the film includes depictions of real historical events, you might be wondering: is The Devil All the Time based on a true story?

Even though the narrative includes elements of reality, the movie is based on a novel, meaning that it is indeed a work of fiction. The characters in the book are not based on real people, which is probably for the best considering how violent the film is expected to be.