The Devil and Max Devlin 1981

Max Devlin's life as a slumlord in LA

Max Devlin is the shady landlord of a rundown Los Angeles slum, exploiting tenants and cutting corners to keep his profits high. His predatory attitude sets the stage for the conflicts that haunt his life. The day-to-day grind of his power is about to collide with a life-changing turn of fate.

Death by bus and descent into hell

While fleeing an angry crowd of tenants, Max is struck and killed by a bus. He finds himself in a hell that resembles a ruthless corporate headquarters, a surreal afterlife where he meets Barney Satin, the devil's chief henchman. Barney offers Max a deal: release from death in exchange for recruiting three innocents to sell their souls to spare his own.

Barney Satin's grim bargain

Barney explains the grim bargain: Max will be freed only if he can lure three unsuspecting people into signing away their souls. Max agrees and is returned to life, but Barney retains his own soul and makes sure Max cannot see his reflection in a mirror. He also grants him limited magical powers to aid in the mission.

Powers granted and mission explained

Barney clarifies the rules: the three subjects will live out their natural lives if they sign, and Max must shepherd them to the signatures. With his new powers, Max begins the quest in earnest and starts to feel a strange sense of responsibility.

Stella Summers targeted

Max lands a recording contract for Stella Summers, a struggling singer with big potential, using his influence as her manager. The gleam of success blinds him to the moral cost of exploiting her talents.

Nerve Nordlinger targeted

Max trains Nerve Nordlinger as a motorbike racer after school, pushing him toward fame and popularity. He mentors and engineers Nerve's every move, hoping to secure the fated signatures.

Toby Hart and Penny involved

Max spends time with Toby Hart and helps Penny run a day care facility, growing closer to Penny in the process. The deeper he gets into their lives, the more uneasy he becomes about what he is doing.

Moral conflict and romance

Max begins to care for all three subjects and even falls for Penny, creating a moral struggle over signing away their souls. He fights the temptation to skip the hard truths to secure a clean exit.

All signatures secured

Max finally obtains all three signatures, triggering a swift and unsettling change in their personalities. Stella becomes calculating and distrustful, Nerve fixates on the next big victory, and Toby's sunny demeanor darkens.

Wedding and midnight revelation

Barney appears at Max and Penny's wedding and reveals the grim deadline: the three subjects will die at midnight, and although Max himself will live to his natural end, his soul remains damned. The revelation shatters any hope of easy redemption.

Contract showdown

Max tries to destroy the contracts, but Barney drags him back to Hell in his true demonic form and warns of greater torment if Max goes through with it. In a burst of defiance, Max hurls the papers into a nearby fire and is abruptly returned to life.

Redemption and mirror sight restored

Believing himself still damned, Max leaves the wedding reception to bid farewell to Nerve and Stella, only to discover that their personalities have returned to normal. He also finds that he can see himself in a mirror again, interpreting this as proof that his self-sacrifice redeemed him and defeated Barney.