Thanks to several new exorcism-themed movies, Satan continues to be a good vehicle for bringing the evil, and 2022 has a new addition to the subgenre with Pray for the Devil, which tells the story of a young nun with a tortured past allowed to join in the battle against the global rise in demonic possessions.

Whether the nun in Pray for the Devil faces the actual Devil remains to be seen, but there have been many instances in movies where the Devil showed up. These include the basic horror movies, where the Devil is the villain, and others, where there are even creatures that give the Devil his own headaches. In some action movies and even in some dramas seeped in temptation, there is nothing creepier than when the Devil shows up in a human disguise.

The Prophecy (1995)

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Viggo Mortensen as The Devil in The Prophecy

The Prophecy brought the Devil into the story, where he wasn't even the principal antagonist. This movie starred Christopher Walken as the Archangel Gabriel, who takes over the body of a man following death by suicide. He uses this body to bring about a new war in Heaven that he wants to win, to turn it into its own Hell with Earth in its power.

A young Viggo Mortensen showed up in the movie as Lucifer, who shockingly became a hero in the movie. Mortensen delivered a chilling performance, despite saving the day in the end, giving the Devil a vicious level of hatred against humans and God, but also one that cared strongly about the status quo.

The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

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Al Pacino as The Devil in The Devil’s Advocate

Not all appearances by the Devil have to take place in horror movies. In the Keanu Reeves movie, The Devil's Advocate, The Devil takes the form of the ultimate temptation. Played by Al Pacino, the Devil is a human lawyer named John Milton. Reeves plays a successful attorney who receives a promotion while working for Milton.

Pacino delivered a role that painted the Devil as the ultimate seducer. He always says the right things and seems to always convince people he is doing what is best for them. Taking part in the corporate law space, Pacino is the Devil that lives around everyone and manipulates the system for the powerful to always win.

Constantine (2005)

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Lucifer shows up in Constantine

There have been several versions of the Devil originating from comic books. What many fans might not know is that the Lucifer from the TV show was the same Lucifer from the Sandman series, and he also crossed over into Constantine comics.

In the Keanu Reeves movie version of Constantine, Peter Stormare showed up as the Devil. Stormare turned in a frightening performance as the Devil, smarmy and arrogant, evil by every definition of the word. His anger when he learned Constantine tricked him made him scarier than most others.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

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Mr Nick with a woman

Released in 2009, Terry Gilliam directed The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus, which ended up an underrated and misunderstood fantasy movie. The movie followed a traveling theater group who made a bet with the Devil and takes their audience through a magical mirror where they receive the option of enlightenment or ignorance.

For the Devil, Tom Waits played the character in the human guise of Mr. Nick. Waits delivered a great rendition of what the Devil might really be like, showing up to taunt Doctor Parnassus every time he fails at something and acting like a jerk, while chewing up every scene in which he appears.

Time Bandits (1981)

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The Time Bandits hold a map in Time Bandits

Time Bandits is a fantasy movie by Terry Gilliam that features a young boy who goes on a sci-fi adventure while traveling through time with a band of thieves who steal from different points in history. The cast is impressive, with David Warner starring as "Evil."

In Time Bandits, Warner plays the Devil as someone who uses technology to control humanity. He also stood out from the cast, because while everyone else played their roles for laughs, he looked like he was in a Shakespeare production, perfect for Satan.

The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

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The Devil and Daniel Webster poster

The Devil has appeared in movies for many years, including the silent era where he tempted the best of men using the classic story of Faust. The Devil & Daniel Webster, based on the stage play, was based on a short story with the same theme.

A man sold his soul to the Devil for seven years of good luck and prosperity. Called Mr Scratch in the movie, Walter Huston portrayed the Devil as a hustler and fast talker, setting out to sell his beliefs and win by any costs.

Angel Heart (1987)

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Robert De Niro Angel Heart - Best Movie Devils

In 1987, Mickey Rourke starred in the psychological horror thriller Angel Heart. In the movie, Rourke plays a private investigator named Angel, who takes a job to find a missing singer named Johnny Favorite. The man who hires him is Louis Cypher, who, if said fast, sounds like Lucifer. That is exactly who it is.

Robert De Niro plays the Devil in this movie with a frightening level of cool. He wears a well-trimmed beard and keeps his fingernails trimmed to sharp points. However, what makes De Niro a perfect Devil is his calm, subtile personality, where he remains constantly polite but with his voice always dripping with a threatening tone.

The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)

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The Last Temptation of Christ Scene

When Martin Scorsese released The Last Temptation of Christ, churches across the world boycotted it. The problems with the movie came with the temptations that Jesus Christ faced before his execution on the cross. It was the temptations the Devil showed him that remained controversial.

What was even more shocking was the portrayal of the Devil in this movie — not as a scary man, but played by a young girl named Juliette Caton. She gave the Devil an innocence that ensured Jesus faced temptations when he least expected it. The Devil, appearing as an innocent child, was more discerning than anything in the movie.

The Witches Of Eastwick (1987)

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The Witches of Eastwick

There might not be a more spot-on casting choice for playing the Devil than Jack Nicholson. This happened in the movie The Witches of Eastwick, which had Nicholson star as Daryl Van Horne alongside Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon as the three witches.

Nicholson was born to play the Devil, with his sly grin and arched eyebrows, showing there is always something mischievous behind his persona. Through the movie, Nicholson plays the role with pure malevolence, showing his determination and will, the evillest role of his career.

End Of Days (1999)

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Gabriel Byrne End of Days - Best Movie Devils

It was only a matter of time before the Devil showed up in an action movie. In 1999, Arnold Schwarzenegger fought his toughest villain in End of Days. Schwarzenegger played an NYPD police detective in the middle of a battle between good and evil when the Devil sets his sights on impregnating an innocent woman with the Antichrist to start an apocalypse in the movie.

Gabriel Byrne was charming and kind as the Devil, offering to give Detective Cane his wife and child back, delivering one of the Devil's best speeches in all movies, saying God makes people feel guilt, but the Devil doesn't do guilt. Of course, Cane won't follow him, so Byrne turns on the menace later in the movie. It was a monster performance in an otherwise by-the-numbers action movie.

NEXT: Mephisto - 10 Characters Who Made A Deal With Marvel's Devil