The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story unfolds in a rundown slum district of Los Angeles, California. Max Devlin operates as a harsh landlord ruling over decaying tenements in this gritty urban backdrop, which emphasizes the social struggles of tenants and creates a surreal contrast between everyday urban life and the supernatural bargain with hell.

• los angeles
• slum
• setting
• urban
• tenements

The film explores several interconnected themes: Deal & Temptation, where a bargain with a cosmic deceiver corrupts through the lure of easy power; Love & Sacrifice, showing how genuine affection can redeem even a morally compromised soul; Morality & Redemption, where choosing others' well-being over self-preservation leads to forgiveness; and Illusion & Identity, revealing how external success can corrupt inner character.

• themes
• temptation
• redemption
• morality
• sacrifice
• identity

Max Devlin is a cynical, opportunistic slumland who dies in a car crash and is sent to Hell. The devil Barney offers him a chance to remain on Earth if he convinces three innocent youths to sell their souls within two months. Armed with supernatural abilities, Max returns to complete this task, but ultimately undergoes a moral transformation, caring for his targets and sacrificing himself to save them.

• max devlin
• protagonist
• landlord
• devil deal
• redemption

Barney Satin is the devil's chief henchman, depicted as a scheming tempter who dangles contracts before Max and frequently taunts him throughout his mission. He embodies manipulation and danger, watching Max's progress with a calculating, punitive eye as the antagonist force driving the film's central bargain.

• barney satin
• devil
• antagonist
• tempter
• manipulator

Max must convince three young people to sell their souls: Stella Summers, a high school dropout and aspiring singer; Nerve Nordlinger, a student desperate for popularity whom Max trains as a motorbike racer; and Toby Hart, a child who longs for his widowed mother Penny to find happiness. Each represents a different vulnerability that Max must exploit.

• stella summers
• nerve nordlinger
• toby hart
• targets
• souls

Penny Hart is Toby Hart's widowed mother who runs a day-care facility. She becomes involved with Max and experiences a mix of hope and trust. Ultimately, she finds genuine love and happiness with Max, and their lives return to normal after his self-sacrifice redeems the situation.

• penny hart
• mother
• toby
• love interest
• day-care

The film does not specify an explicit time period, though the 1981 release year and visual elements like the recording studio, motorbike racing, and telephone booth suggest an early 1980s setting. The lack of modern technology and the general aesthetic align with a contemporary feel to that era.

• time period
• 1980s
• era
• setting

After dying in a car crash, Max is sent to Hell where the devil Barney offers him a chance to remain on Earth. He must convince three innocent youths to sell their souls within two months, using supernatural abilities granted to him. If he succeeds, he escapes damnation; if he fails, he returns to Hell forever.

• devil deal
• contract
• bargain
• hell
• souls

The film delivers a moral fable about redemption through self-sacrifice. While Max begins by manipulating others for his own survival, his relationships with the three youths and Penny transform him. The arc shows that genuine affection and choosing others' well-being over self-preservation can redeem even a morally compromised soul.

• moral
• redemption
• sacrifice
• forgiveness
• selflessness

The Devil and Max Devlin is a comedy-fantasy film that presents its dark premise, the devil, soul-selling, and damnation, with a light, whimsical touch. Hell is depicted as a corporate office, and the overall tone is humorous despite the serious themes of temptation and morality. The film has a straightforward, linear plot with a happy ending where redemption triumphs.

• comedy
• fantasy
• tone
• genre
• lighthearted