History DealWithTheDevil / Film

* Both versions of the film ''Film/{{Bedazzled|1967}}'' -- the original and [[Film/{{Bedazzled 2000}} the remake]] -- concern a deal with the Devil in exchange for seven wishes. In the remake, the main character is eventually freed from the contract by making an unselfish wish. However, he could never collect the soul in the first place, since [[spoiler:they belong to God]]. She was just {{mindscrew}}ing the character.

* While not a literal example, the plot to Danny Boyle's ''ShallowGrave'' has been described thus.
* This is the basic premise of ''StayTuned'', in which a TV-addicted family man unknowingly sells his soul for a new satellite television setup with 666 channels.

* ''Film/Highway61'' gives us Mr. Skin, who goes around collecting souls in exchange for favours.

* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels have this with Anakin Skywalker and Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin's desire for Padmé Amidala's-life-spared-at-any-cost might not have been spelled out and Palpatine himself might not be the devil, but otherwise the trope is played to the hilt. Palpatine had told Anakin that Darth Plagueis was his master and that he could teach Anakin the technique Darth Plagueis used to extend the life of whomever he chose to effectively eternity. Even though Anakin effectively sold his soul to Palpatine to save Padmé from possible death, the deal failed for two reasons. 1. Anakin ended up killing his own wife, or at least contributing to it, so he had no wife to save. 2. In the books, Palpatine reveals in his thoughts that he had never learned the technique Darth Plagueis had, and Palpatine ended up having to resort to making clones and the Sith technique of transferring his soul into another body just to extend ''his'' own life. Turns out, that said technique for saving people's lives is all just a plain old lie. Yep, Anakin was effectively left with nothing as a result of the deal. George Lucas himself described Anakin as "a sad man who made a deal with the devil, and lost."

* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels have this with Anakin Skywalker and Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin's desire for Padmé Amidala's-life-spared-at-any-cost might not have been spelled out and Palpatine himself might not be the devil, but otherwise the trope is played to the hilt. Palpatine had told Anakin that Darth Plagueis was his master and that he could teach Anakin the technique Darth Plagueis used to extend the life of whomever he chose to effectively eternity. Even though Anakin effectively sold his soul to Palpatine to save Padmé from possible death, the deal failed for two reasons. 1. Anakin ended up killing his own wife, or at least contributing to it, so he had no wife to save. 2. In the books, Palpatine reveals in his thoughts that he had never learned the technique Darth Plagueis had, and Palpatine ended up having to resort to making clones and the Sith technique of transferring his soul into another body just to extend ''his'' own life. Turns out, that said technique for saving people's lives is all just a plain old lie. Yep, Anakin was effectively left with nothing as a result of the deal.

** The Dream Demons eventually declare that YouHaveFailedMe in the ''FreddyVsJasonVsAshTheNightmareWarriors'' comic, after [[spoiler:the heroes thwart Freddy's latest plan]]. They [[spoiler:strip him of his powers, allowing Ash to shoot him in the chest and knock him into a portal opened by the ''Necronomicon''.]]

* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels have this with Anakin Skywalker and Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin's desire for Padmé Amidala's-life-spared-at-any-cost might not have been spelled out and Palpatine himself might not be the devil, but otherwise the trope is played to the hilt.

** About the deal between Anakin and Palpatine in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''...Palpatine had told Anakin that Darth Plagueis was his master (in the books) and that he could teach Anakin the technique Darth Plagueis used to extend the life of whomever he chose to effectively eternity. Even though Anakin effectively sold his soul to Palpatine to save Padmé from possible death, the deal failed for two reasons. 1. Anakin ended up killing his own wife, or at least contributing to it, so he had no wife to save. 2. In the books, Palpatine reveals in his thoughts that he had never learned the technique Darth Plagueis had, and Palpatine ended up having to resort to making clones and the Sith technique of transferring his soul into another body just to extend ''his'' own life. Turns out, that said technique for saving people's lives is all just a plain old lie. Yep, Anakin was effectively left with nothing as a result of the deal.

* Johnny Blaze sold his soul to Devil in ''Film/GhostRider'' to get his foster father cured from his cancer. He dies, and Johnny is turned into the eponymous character.

* Cyclops in ''Film/MonsterBrawl'' became what he is now by making a deal with Hades 3000 years ago; he gave one of his eyes for be able to see the future. The result was less than he desired, an he seeks vengeance against him.

* ''Film/LittleNicky'': Dan Marino tries to make a Deal With The Devil to win a Super Bowl. The Devil declines.

-->'''Satan''': Yeah, but Joe was coming here anyway.

* Both versions of the film ''Film/{{Bedazzled 1967}}'' -- the original and [[Film/{{Bedazzled 2000}} the remake]] -- concern a deal with the Devil in exchange for seven wishes. In the remake, the main character is eventually freed from the contract by making an unselfish wish. However, he could never collect the soul in the first place, since [[spoiler:they belong to God]]. She was just {{mindscrew}}ing the character.

* ''Film/GhostRider''

* In ''TheDevilAndDanielWebster'', a good but rather dumb and weak man makes a deal with the devil. He gets the money he needs for his farm (and way more,) and in seven years the devil will claim his soul. The man agrees after the devil assures him that ''"souls are not important."'' After seven years he's had a son (and neglected him), got a servant that acted as his mistress, hired his former friends and taken advantage of them, and become a {{Jerkass}} while still being the dumbest man on earth. Later, Daniel Webster comes and manages to let him weasel out of the deal.

* Several people sell their souls to Satan in ''The Undead'' (1957).

* Played straight in ''OhGodYouDevil'', with God and Satan (both played by Creator/GeorgeBurns) battling for the soul of a struggling musician.

* Disney Channel Original Movie ''LuckOfTheIrish'' involves the protagonist Kyle Johnson making a deal with a far darrig named Seamus that whoever won a series of games would get the [[MacGuffin lucky gold coin]], and Seamus would have to forever go to Erie, the shores of [Kyle's] forefathers. Seamus thinks that Kyle is mispronouncing Eire, a nickname for Ireland; but Kyle's paternal family is from Ohio which borders Lake Erie.

* As Erik in ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1989'' watches ''Theatre/{{Faust}}'' at the opera, he has a flashback that shows that he sold his soul to the Devil so that his music would become immortal like Mozart's and Beethoven's.

* Played straight in ''OhGodYouDevil'', with God and Satan (both played by GeorgeBurns) battling for the soul of a struggling musician.

* Hinted at in ''Film/TheShining'' during the bar scene. Jack says he'd give his soul for a drink, cue creepy bartender appearing with a full stock of booze.

* Harrison promises Thomas Harewood he can save the man's comatose daughter in the opening of ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness''. In exchange, Thomas [[spoiler:blows up a Starfleet facility shortly after messaging a confession for the bombing (with credit to Harrison) to Admiral Marcus]].

** Will makes one with Jack in the first film. "Spring me from this cell and I will take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass."
** In the third, it's kinda hard to tell who's supposed to be the devil and who the mortal sucker.
** '' Do you fear death?''

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' features Davy Jones, a sort of Devil of the Sea. He makes deals with dead or dying sailors, offering them a 100 year postponement of death in return for serving on his crew. He also made a deal with Jack Sparrow, making him Captain of the Black Pearl for 13 years in return for his promise to serve. Sparrow manages to weasel his way out, [[spoiler:almost. "Not even Jack Sparrow can best the Devil!" Although, as the writers' commentary points out, Davy Jones doesn't exactly win by the end, either.]]

* In ''Film/AngelHeart'', [[spoiler:Johnny Favorite]] selling his soul for [[spoiler:stardom and then trying to get out of it by sacrificing an innocent man]] caused the whole plot.

* The entire premise of the Disney Channel Original Movie ''{{H-E-Double Hockey Sticks}}'' (starring Creator/WillFriedle).

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' features Davy Jones, a sort of Devil of the Sea. He makes deals with dead or dying sailors, offering them a 100 year postponement of death in return for serving on his crew. He also made a deal with Jack Sparrow, making him Captain of the Black Pearl for 13 years in return for his promise to serve. Sparrow manages to weasel his way out, [[spoiler:almost. "Not even Jack Sparrow can best the Devil!" Although, as the writers' commentary points out, Davy Jones doesn't exactly win by the end, either.]]

* The entire premise of the Disney Channel Original Movie ''{{H-E-Double Hockey Sticks}}'' (starring WillFriedle).

* The ''StarWars'' prequels have this with Anakin and Palpatine. Anakin's desire for Padme's-life-spared-at-any-cost might not have been spelled out and Palpatine himself might not be the devil, but otherwise the trope is played to the hilt.
** There's also Lando Calrissian's deal with Darth Vader in ''[[StarWars The Empire Strikes Back]]''. Lando really had no choice about it - the Dark Lord of the Sith showed up and would have destroyed Cloud City if he'd been refused. The ''Falcon'' and her crew would be betrayed and captured to draw in Luke Skywalker; Han Solo would be frozen in carbonite and handed off to Boba Fett, the rest of the crew would never leave Cloud City, and then TheEmpire would leave and ignore Lando's operation. Vader [[ILied altered the deal]], and eventually Lando did too.
** And ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' lampshades ("Strike me down. Then your journey to TheDarkSide will be complete.") and subverts it. There's even an AlternativeCharacterInterpretation where Luke and Vader planned how it would play out before they ever met Ol' Sid, so Vader made a deal with ''Luke''. But it's ''StarWars'', it plays with every mythology trope ever.
** About the deal between Anakin and Palpatine...Palpatine had told Anakin that Darth Plagueis was his master (in the books) and that he could teach Anakin the technique Darth Plagueis used to extend the life of whomever he chose to effectively eternity. Even though Anakin effectively sold his soul to Palpatine to save Padme from possible death, the deal failed for two reasons. 1. Anakin ended killing his own wife, or at least contributing to it, so he had no Padme to save. 2. In the books, Palpatine reveals in his thoughts that he had never learned the technique Darth Plagueis had, and Palpatine ended up having to resort to making clones and the Sith technique of transferring his soul into another body just to extend ''his'' own life. Yep, Anakin was effectively left with nothing as a result of the deal.