Taylor Hackford's 1997 psychological thriller The Devil's Advocate remains a polarizing collision of high-gloss legal drama and supernatural horror. If you're wondering whether it holds up or if it's just two hours of campy excess, the short answer is yes—it's worth watching, provided you appreciate uninhibited performances and maximalist 90s filmmaking. Keanu Reeves stars as Kevin Lomax, an undefeated Florida defense attorney who gets recruited by a powerhouse New York law firm run by the charismatic John Milton, played with operatic intensity by Al Pacino.
The film runs a hefty 144 minutes, which raises legitimate questions about pacing and narrative discipline. Yet it succeeds by leaning completely into its allegorical ambitions rather than playing it safe as a standard courtroom procedural. Let's break down what works, where it stumbles, and whether it deserves a spot on your watchlist tonight.
Plot Mechanics and the Setup
Kevin Lomax hasn't lost a case. His ruthless talent defending guilty clients catches the eye of Milton, Chadwick, & Waters, a prestigious Manhattan firm. Kevin and his wife, Mary Ann (played by Charlize Theron), pack up their modest Florida life for a high-rise luxury apartment in New York City.
As Kevin throws himself into defending wealthy, morally bankrupt clients in high-profile trials, he spends less time with Mary Ann. She begins experiencing terrifying hallucinations, hearing voices, and witnessing bizarre transformations in people around her. Meanwhile, Kevin's ambition blinds him to the ethical rot eating away at the firm. The script structures this descent as a slow-boil Faustian bargain, where every legal victory exacts a heavy toll on Kevin's marriage and conscience.
The Performances: Pacino vs. Reeves
The main reason to watch the film is the dynamic between its two leads. Keanu Reeves plays the straight man caught in a waking nightmare. While critics at the time sometimes targeted Reeves for his dramatic limits alongside Pacino, his earnestness grounds the movie's escalating absurdity. He sells Kevin's transition from ambitious country lawyer to frantic, desperate husband.
Al Pacino, however, operates on an entirely different frequency. John Milton isn't just a corporate boss; he's the adversary, and Pacino plays him with an infectious, scenery-chewing glee. His climactic monologue in the film's final act is legendary. It's loud, theatrical, and completely over the top, yet it anchors the film's philosophical core about free will, human vanity, and moral choice.
Themes of Ambition and Moral Compromise
Beneath the legal trappings and supernatural gloss, the film examines the seductive nature of unchecked ambition. Kevin Lomax justifies his work through the lens of the American legal system: everyone deserves a defense, and winning is the only metric that matters.
The film challenges this defense by asking a simple question: at what point does professional success require sacrificing your humanity? Milton provides Kevin with infinite wealth, status, and power, but demands his soul in return. It's a heavy-handed theme, but Hackford executes it with enough stylistic flair to keep it engaging rather than preachy.
Common Criticisms and Where It Stumbles
It's fair to approach The Devil's Advocate with some skepticism. Here are the most common pitfalls viewers encounter:
- Pacing Issues: At nearly two and a half hours, the middle act saggers under the weight of repetitive marital conflict and mounting surreal episodes that stall the legal plot.
- Subtlety Deficit: The movie treats nuance like a foreign concept. Character motivations are spelled out in neon letters, and religious symbolism is hammered home repeatedly.
- Tone Shifts: The film struggles occasionally to balance gritty legal realism with supernatural horror, leading to moments that land closer to camp than genuine dread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Devil's Advocate a horror movie or a legal thriller?
It sits squarely in the middle. The first half plays like a glossy 90s legal thriller about corporate greed, while the second half leans hard into psychological horror and supernatural allegory.
How does Charlize Theron perform in the movie?
Brilliantly. Theron delivers a harrowing, deeply sympathetic performance as Mary Ann. Her character's psychological breakdown is often considered the emotional heart of the film.
Is the movie appropriate for younger audiences?
No. It carries an R rating for strong language, intense sexuality, nudity, and disturbing violent imagery.
How does it compare to other 90s legal thrillers like The Firm?
While The Firm relies on grounded corporate espionage and mafia intrigue, The Devil's Advocate drops all pretense of realism by the final act, trading gritty realism for grand, theatrical myth-making.
