In the mystery thriller On behalf of the devil, a lawyer is recruited by a shady law firm and is confronted with absolute evil. The question arises as to whether it is simply human baseness or it is about actual evil in its supernatural form.
That’s what In Order of the Devil is about, which is streaming on Netflix
The young lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) successfully defends a sex offender despite great remorse – and then receives an offer from a successful New York law firm. Despite warnings from his mother Alice, Lomax accepts the luxurious position and from then on acts as a defense attorney under his charismatic boss John Milton (Al Pacino).
But Lomax quickly discovers that the new job has its downsides: Milton’s law firm seems to be involved in illegal business around the world and his new client, a building contractor who murdered his family including their nanny, is, to put it mildly, not very likeable.
His wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) also seems to be increasingly estranged from him and is plagued by strange visions about Milton. But Lomax, obsessed with success and Milton’s recognition, doesn’t want to give up his new life – until he, too, realizes what lies behind the glamorous facade.
To hell with empathy: In this mystery thriller we meet questionable characters
From the first scene, the film leaves no doubt that these characters are not necessarily popular figures. Starting with Kevin Lomax, an opportunist, who, despite moral doubts, always chooses the side of success.
Although the protagonist senses from the start that something is wrong with his new work environment, he does everything he can to become a part of Milton’s shady make-believe world. Incidentally, Keanu Reeves easily manages to portray the eternal doubter Lomax credibly.
Al Pacino again really blossoms in the role of the devilish seducer John Milton and does his best to win his young colleague over to his side and to alienate him from those around him.
Devilish game with our perception: Who or what is John Milton?
Which brings us to Mary Ann, who is the only one who manages to look behind Milton’s shiny facade, albeit at a high price. The core question of the mystery thriller is revealed: Is John Milton the incarnate himself or simply a devilishly skilled lawyer with questionable intentions?
Taylor Hackford’s production plays with this motif as mercilessly as Milton plays with the conscience of the helpless Lomax, leaving not only the young lawyer but also the audience disturbed when we finally get an answer.
In Order of the Devil premiered on October 17, 1997 and is included in your Netflix subscription.