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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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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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Bill P

This movie is entertaining with an amazing cast.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/14/25

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Audience Member

Silly. I normally like Keanu but he was silly and over the top hickish. Most of the story made sense but I got annoyed by the suggested affair of the wife and boss before it made sense to cut her own throat.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

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Scott M

It's one of those movies that's difficult to dislike because of how good the production quality is, but at the same time difficult to like because of the ridiculous overacting and silly juvenile script.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

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André Ferreira F

Apesar de possuir alguns problemas (nomeadamente a exagerada demonstração de conteúdo sexual) o filme consegue promover uma boa mensagem religiosa, onde apesar da tentação em última análise nós temos controlo sobre as nossas escolhas. O final do filme acaba por refletir isso, no meu ponto de vista, mas nada direi sobre ele por motivos óbvios (spoilers). (avaliação: 8.5/10)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/25

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Tim R

Terrible. I've heard about this movie for so many years and finally got around to watching it. It was dumb. Total waste of time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

Full Review

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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 Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
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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