The Devil's Advocate

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The Devil's Advocate

R

Released Oct 17, 1997

2h 24m

Mystery & Thriller

Fantasy

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) accepts a high-powered position at a New York law firm headed by legal shark John Milton (Al Pacino). As Kevin moves up in the firm's ranks, his wife, Mary Ann (Charlize Theron), has several frightening, mystical experiences that begin to warp her sense of reality. With the stakes getting higher with each case, Kevin quickly learns that his mentor is planning a far greater evil than simply winning without scruples.

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Critics Consensus

Though it is ultimately somewhat undone by its own lofty ambitions, The Devil's Advocate is a mostly effective blend of supernatural thrills and character exploration.

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Michael Bodey

The Age (Australia)

Devil's Advocate possesses such assets and problems that many will be divided in whether to applaud it for its witless audacity or chastise it for its contemptuous treatment of its audience.

Rated: 1.5/5

Aug 6, 2024

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

At half its present length it might make an OK midnight camp item.

Aug 10, 2020

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Paul Tatara

CNN.com

You don't care about any of the characters, so there's no fear of something nasty happening to them, and, with the exception of Pacino (who plays the devil himself), it's terribly miscast.

Aug 10, 2020

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Tom Ryan

The Sunday Age

Helped by some very snappy dialogue, Pacino makes The Devil's Advocate his own.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 6, 2024

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Self-indulgent and overlong, it suffers largely due to Reeves having to carry the narrative momentum. Pacino is clearly having an absolute blast, but he seems to be in an entirely different movie from the rest of the cast.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 20, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Outrageously entertaining.

Rated: 3/4

May 24, 2023

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Cork B

At the time this movie was released, I didn't think much of it, but compared to the drivel that is released these days, it has improved with age. It is a well put together, well shot deal-with-the devil flick. I didn't care for the excessive f bombs and nudity, but they are all done with a purpose and not randomly added. Pacino is in overdrive here - the director clearly told him to over act. Keanu.... well... he just can't really act. I always like his films, including this one, but I can't help feel he is a bit miscast here. And the finale was pretty weak.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/19/25

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Leaburn O

I miss these original plots with great casts and screenplay. They became thin on the ground from mid noughties onwards. This is an excellently made and entertaining tale with Pacino stealing the show. Watched on DVD.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

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Scott E

One of Pacino's best performances.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

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Charlie S

I love the whole concept of The Devil's Advocate, really good acting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Chris H

Entertaining throughout, if a little lengthy. Very unpleasant in places, which stops it being a straight drama, but not really in the horror genre either. Al Pacino is excessively and triumphantly vile - and there's no big reveal here, you know who he's playing before the opening credits roll - but Keanu Reeves, clearly possessed of supernatural talents from the beginning, is more multi-faceted.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

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Rami A

It's a movie I can neither like nor dislike. While it features a great cast, funny moments, and decent writing (some of the time), it suffers from poor pacing, lengthy scenes, and a lazy setup for an epic climax, which feels a bit underwhelming once you discover the truth.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

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Taylor Hackford

Director

Keanu Reeves

Kevin Lomax

Al Pacino

John Milton

Charlize Theron

Mary Ann Lomax

Jeffrey Jones

Eddie Barzoon

Judith Ivey

Mrs. Alice Lomax

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Synopsis

Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) accepts a high-powered position at a New York law firm headed by legal shark John Milton (Al Pacino). As Kevin moves up in the firm's ranks, his wife, Mary Ann (Charlize Theron), has several frightening, mystical experiences that begin to warp her sense of reality. With the stakes getting higher with each case, Kevin quickly learns that his mentor is planning a far greater evil than simply winning without scruples.

Director: Taylor Hackford
Producer: Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson, Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter: Andrew Neiderman, Jonathan Lemkin, Tony Gilroy
Distributor: Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Kopelson Entertainment, New Regency Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Fantasy, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $61.0M
Runtime: 2h 24m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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