What Is The Devil, Probably About?
The premise of The Devil, Probably in 278 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the restless streets of Paris, a restless young scholar drifts through the city’s intellectual salons and cramped cafés, searching for meaning in a world that feels increasingly hollow. The backdrop is a society bruised by political rhetoric, fading religious certainties, and the promise of radical activism that never quite satisfies. Within this landscape, the film paints a portrait of a generation caught between idealism and disaffection, where every billboard and whispered debate seems to echo a deeper, unanswerable void.
Charles is a disillusioned student whose inner life is marked by a relentless questioning of the structures that surround him. He watches left‑wing politics, religious fervor, and even the earnest environmental campaigns of his friend Michel with a growing sense of detachment. His relationships—whether the strained intimacy with his girlfriend Alberte, the tentative connection to his classmate Edwige, or the erratic friendship with the drug‑tangled Valentin—offer little solace, each interaction highlighting how far his alienation has spread. Even the prospect of psychoanalysis, offered as a lifeline, fails to bridge the widening gap between his nihilistic outlook and the world’s frantic attempts at meaning.
The tone is deliberately detached, suffused with a quiet dread that lingers like the scent of rain on cobblestones. Scenes unfold with a muted palette, allowing the audience to feel the weight of contemplation rather than overt drama. As Charles navigates cafés, lecture halls, and late‑night bus rides, his thoughts turn increasingly inward, wrestling with the bleak possibility that the only escape from the pervasive decay may be an act of finality. The film invites viewers to sit with that uncomfortable stillness, questioning the fragility of purpose in a city that hums with indifferent life.
What Happens in The Devil, Probably?
The complete story of The Devil, Probably, from the first scene to the last, in 245 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 5 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens with two contradictory newspaper headlines about Charles’s death, set against the quiet backdrop of Père Lachaise Cemetery. Six months earlier, the narrative unfolds through flashbacks and the perspectives of those closest to him, notably Michel, Alberte, and Edwige.
Charles is a disillusioned student living in Paris, detached from society and wrestling with a growing sense of alienation. The people around him, including his girlfriend and other friends, struggle to understand his inner turmoil. He finds little inspiration from left-wing politics or religion, nor from the work of his environmental activist friend, Michel. There is a void in his intimate life, not only with Alberte but in casual encounters as well. Psychoanalysis fails to repair his nihilistic outlook. He increasingly watches the world with unease and horror, and expresses a profound dissatisfaction with it.
He becomes more fixated on the idea of suicide. During a bus conversation, a passenger asks:
Who made this mockery of humanity? Who’s leading us by the nose?
The devil probably.
Finally, Charles makes an arrangement with his drug-addicted friend Valentin to end his life with a handgun.
The film thus traces how a young man’s disaffection blossoms into a fatal plan, seen through multiple perspectives and a mood that blends detachment with a quiet sense of dread. The closing scenes invite viewers to reflect on the fragility of meaning in a world that can feel indifferent, and on how personal despair can intersect with choices that alter lives.
The Devil, Probably Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening frame: Headlines announce Charles's death” to “The death revealed: final frame”. 12 events name a place, across 4 locations.
- 1
Opening frame: Headlines announce Charles's death
The film opens with two contradictory newspaper headlines announcing Charles's death, set against the atmosphere of Père Lachaise Cemetery. This framing hints that his fate will be explored through later flashbacks. The headlines anchor the mystery at the center of the story.
When:Opening frame (present) Where:Père Lachaise Cemetery
- 2
Six months earlier: Flashbacks start
Six months earlier, the narrative unfolds through flashbacks showing the events that lead to Charles's death. The story is told through the perspectives of his friends Michel, Alberte, and Edwige as they try to understand him. Their viewpoints reveal his growing alienation and internal turmoil.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 3
Charles: a disillusioned student in Paris
Charles is a disillusioned student living in Paris, deeply detached from society. He wrestles with a growing sense of alienation that distances him from those around him. His perspective remains isolated from conventional politics, religion, and activism.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 4
Friends and relationships
The people around him, including his girlfriend Alberte and his other friends, do not understand his inner turmoil. Their attempts to connect with him only underscore the void he feels inside.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 5
No inspiration from politics or religion
He finds no inspiration from left-wing politics or religion, nor from his environmental activist friend Michel's work. This emptiness deepens his skepticism about meaning in life.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 6
Sexual void and failed intimacy
Sex offers no relief; he experiences a void in sex with Alberte and with casual acquaintances. Despite physical encounters, intimacy fails to fill the emptiness he carries.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 7
Psychoanalysis fails to repair nihilism
Psychoanalysis fails to repair his nihilistic outlook. Therapeutic attempts do not alter his sense of meaninglessness or his detachment from the world around him.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 8
Growing unease with the world
He increasingly observes the world with a sense of unease and horror. He expresses profound dissatisfaction with what he perceives as the flaws and cruelty of humanity.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris
- 9
Bus discussion on humanity
During a bus ride, a passenger asks 'Who made this mockery of humanity? Who’s leading us by the nose?' Another replies 'The devil probably.' The exchange crystallizes Charles's perception of a manipulated, harsh reality.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris (on a bus)
- 10
Plan to end life with Valentin
Charles makes an arrangement with his drug-addicted friend Valentin to end his life using a handgun. This plan marks the culmination of his suicidal fixation and nihilistic resolve.
When:Six months before the present Where:Paris (with Valentin)
- 11
Tightening of the plan and looming moment
As the arrangement with Valentin tightens, Charles weighs the consequences of his choice and moves closer to the act. The gravity of ending his own life becomes a real possibility that dominates his thoughts.
When:Late in the six-month period Where:Paris (with Valentin)
- 12
The death revealed: final frame
The film culminates in Charles's death by handgun at Père Lachaise Cemetery, as foreshadowed by the opening headlines. The contradictory newspapers at the start echo the uncertainty around how his story ends.
When:Present (end of film) Where:Père Lachaise Cemetery
Who Are the Main Characters in The Devil, Probably?
7 characters, among them Charles - Antoine Monnier, Michel - Henri de Maublanc and Alberte - Tina Irissari: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- C-
Charles - Antoine Monnier
Played by Antoine Monnier
A disillusioned student living in Paris, Charles is emotionally detached and increasingly anxious about the world. He searches for meaning but finds none in leftist politics, religion, or personal relationships; his nihilistic outlook deepens as the story unfolds. His perception of reality shifts to horror and unease, setting him on a collision course with despair.
- 🧭 Detachment
- 💬 Dialogue-driven
- 💔 Isolation
- M-
Michel - Henri de Maublanc
Played by Henri de Maublanc
Charles’s close friend and environmental activist; usually idealistic and engaged with social causes, he struggles to understand Charles’s inner void. He embodies the conflict between earnest activism and the inadequacy of external fixes for existential crisis.
- 🌿 Activism
- 🧠 Ideals
- 🤝 Friend
- A-
Alberte - Tina Irissari
Played by Tina Irissari
Charles’s girlfriend who attempts to connect with him, but their relationship becomes strained by his growing detachment. She represents a personal attempt at intimacy that cannot bridge the widening gulf in his psyche.
- ❤️ Love
- 😕 Relationship strain
- 🗣️ Communication
- E-
Edwige - Laetitia Carcano
Played by Laetitia Carcano
A friend within Charles’s circle who offers another perspective on his distress. She observes the changes in him and contributes to the atmosphere of communal concern and confusion as he withdraws.
- 👥 Circle of friends
- 🧭 Perspective
- 🖤 Emotional complexity
- V-
Valentin - Nicolas Deguy
Played by Nicolas Deguy
Charles’s drug-addicted friend with whom he makes a grim arrangement to end his life. The relationship explores the desperation and moral ambiguity surrounding extreme choices.
- 💊 Addiction
- ⚖️ Moral ambiguity
- 🕳️ Despair
- DM
Dr. Mime, Psychanalyste - Régis Hanrion
Played by Régis Hanrion
A psychiatrist figure who attempts to diagnose and mend Charles’s existential wounds, though the therapy ultimately fails to restore hope. He embodies the limits of psychoanalytic fixes for nihilism.
- 🧠 Psychoanalysis
- 🗣️ Physician
- 🕊️ Hope vs despair
- C-
Commissaire - Roger Honorat
Played by Roger Honorat
An authority figure who appears in the narrative, representing societal order and its responses to the events around Charles, though he remains peripheral to Charles’s inner turmoil.
- 👮 Authority
- 🗂️ Procedure
- 🕵️ Observation
Where and When Is The Devil, Probably Set?
The Devil, Probably is set in Paris and Père Lachaise Cemetery. Here is why the place matters to the story.
When
The narrative unfolds in a contemporary Parisian context, focusing on modern urban life and relationships. Flashbacks cover the six months leading up to Charles's death, revealing how his worldview hardens over time. The mood emphasizes ambiguity, unease, and the pressures of city life.
Where
Paris, Père Lachaise Cemetery
The film centers on a disaffected student living in Paris, with scenes anchored by the solemn grounds of Père Lachaise Cemetery. The city’s streets and social milieu provide a backdrop for Charles’s creeping alienation and the interactions with friends. The cemetery setting underscores themes of memory, mortality, and the thin line between life and death in an urban landscape.
- 🌇 Paris cityscape
- 🗺️ Urban life
- 🎨 Culture hub
What Are the Themes of The Devil, Probably?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Alienation, Nihilism and Mortality.
-
01
Alienation
Charles’s detachment from politics, religion, and social circles drives the narrative. He perceives society as hollow and misaligned with his inner state, creating a persistent sense of isolation. The film traces how alienation reshapes friendships and the search for meaning in a crowded city.
-
02
Nihilism
The protagonist’s outlook is saturated with doubt and despair, with nihilistic undertones coloring his observations of the world. Attempts at psychoanalytic or ideological fixes fail to restore a sense of purpose. The film portrays a creeping belief that nothing ultimately matters.
-
03
Mortality
Death is a looming presence, culminating in Charles’s decision to end his life. The bus discussion about who leads humanity astray frames mortality as a central theme. The plan with a drug-addicted friend and the weight of final acts cast a pall over even ordinary moments.
What Kind of Film Is The Devil, Probably?
Bleak in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bleak
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A profoundly bleak and slow-paced character study that immerses the viewer in the growing alienation and existential despair of a young man who finds the modern world utterly devoid of meaning.
- alienated
- despairing
- pessimistic
- existential dread
- apathetic
- melancholic
- nihilism
- suicide
- alienation
- disillusionment
Content notes: suicide, drug abuse.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Devil, Probably? Test yourself on the story.
