Faustian Bargain

here. personally curated by a university professor teaching devil in film: [https://letterboxd.com/mephistophiel/list/movies-with-faustian-bargains-relationships/](https://letterboxd.com/mephistophiel/list/movies-with-faustian-bargains-relationships/)

The devil’s advocate

Not precisely 1:1, but Bring Her Back (2025) is really heavy on the depictions part of the exchange. Major content warning on that bad boy though. The Paranormal Activity series is also pretty laden with themes and imagery associated with this idea, although more focused on the occult, not necessarily tied to "the devil" as a specific entity, from what I remember. If you're looking for something more pulpy, Ghost Rider is a good choice. It has been awhile, but they really play into this idea.

Constantine.

The best comedy version is Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley.

The Phantom of the Paradise. I hate it but plenty of people seem to love it.

As someone who got into blues in their teens and is a fan of Ry Cooder (who did the guitar parts in film, bar the Steve Vai bit), Crossroads will always have a place in my heart. Includes a deal with the devil made by one character, but also talks about the myth of a similar story surrounding the blues singer/guitarist Robert Johnson, who wrote the song of the title.

Can it be metaphorical? If so I'd suggest: \-The Firm (1993) \-Thank You For Smoking (2005) \- Michael Clayton (2007)

Revenge of the Sith

Hunk, a 1987 comedy. Pretty standard Faustian plot, except with 80's west coast kitsch.

Sinners did this. It's actually core to the film's identity. The bargain is risking their souls against supernatural forces to escape poverty and oppression under the guise of equality.

Technically, Hercules. We don't know what the deal was for but Megaera is Hades' slave since he hold literal dominion over her soul. In Kingdom Hearts which heavily implies that the events of the film already happened in that game's version of the story, she's not the only one. Cloud from Final Fantasy VII is said to have entered a contract with Hades in exchange for a favor. While it's not expressly stated what it was, Hades stabbed Cloud in the back by using it as a means of setting a trap to get Hercules killed. Also, technically Riku does so in the same game due to Maleficent's manipulations. Most of the endgame is a onsequence of what happened and most of Riku's plot after is a result of his immense guilt over what happened >!since it let the main villain of the franchise possess his body.!<

The 1945 version of "The Picture of Dorian Grey" and the decadent 1970 version titled "Dorian Grey". 

I'll add these movies: **Rosemary's Baby, Bedazzled**, and **The Witch**.

Belladonna of sadness fits the bill but it can be a difficult watch

Can’t Buy Me Love

The Apple.  

Click

Ready or not films.  The sequel even goes into much more depth about families around the world that have taken the bargain and are all part of a high council. 

The Substance.

*The Devil's Advocate* is the absolute peak of this trope tbh. al pacino’s monologue at the end is basically a masterclass on how the devil wins every time because of vanity. it’s a total classic ngl.