You know the one. It’s 1997. Keanu Reeves is at the height of his "earnest guy" era, Al Pacino is chewing every piece of scenery in Manhattan, and suddenly, the movie takes a turn from legal thriller into something way more visceral. We’re talking about the Devil’s Advocate sex scene—specifically the sequence involving Keanu’s character, Kevin Lomax, and the shifting identity of the woman in his bed.
It’s weird. It’s uncomfortable. Honestly, it’s one of the most effective uses of "supernatural horror" in a mainstream 90s film because it targets a very specific, human fear: the loss of reality.
What Actually Happens in the Devil's Advocate Sex Scene
The movie spends two hours slowly breaking down Kevin Lomax’s moral compass. But the scene where he’s in bed with his wife, Mary Ann (played by a hauntingly fragile Charlize Theron), and she suddenly transforms into Christabella (Connie Nielsen) is where the floor drops out.
It isn't just about the nudity or the shock value. Taylor Hackford, the director, was leaning into the "Satanic" theme by showing how the devil doesn't just take your soul—he hijacks your most intimate moments. One second, Kevin is with his wife. The next, the woman beneath him has the face of his seductive coworker. Then, just as quickly, she's Mary Ann again.
It’s a bait-and-switch.
Most people remember the jump scares or Pacino’s "God is an absentee landlord" speech, but this particular moment is the pivot point. It's when Kevin realizes—or should have realized—that he’s no longer in control of his own senses. The cinematography here uses high-contrast lighting and quick cuts to make the transition feel jagged. It’s supposed to feel wrong.
The Charlize Theron Factor
We have to talk about Charlize Theron here. This was one of her breakout roles, and she famously went to great lengths to capture Mary Ann's descent into madness. She reportedly spent an hour a day with a psychotherapist to understand schizophrenia and visual hallucinations.
🔗 Read more: Bad For Me Lyrics Kevin Gates: The Messy Truth Behind the Song
When you watch that sex scene now, you see the terror in her eyes isn’t just "movie scared." It’s the look of someone who knows she is being replaced. While the Devil’s Advocate sex scene serves as a temptation for Kevin, it serves as a psychological execution for Mary Ann. She is literally losing her place in her own marriage to a demonic illusion.
The Special Effects That Aged (Surprisingly) Well
In 1997, CGI was still a bit of a gamble. You had Jurassic Park doing it right and a lot of other movies doing it very, very wrong. For this scene, the production team relied on a mix of practical transitions and early digital morphing.
The trick wasn't just swapping faces. It was the skin. If you look closely at the "Christabella" version of the scene, the lighting shifts to a warmer, more predatory tone. The transition back to Mary Ann is colder. It’s subtle, but it plays on the viewer’s subconscious.
Interestingly, the "demon faces" seen elsewhere in the film—like the ones Mary Ann sees in the mirror or on the faces of the socialites—were inspired by the work of artist Francis Bacon. That distorted, fleshy, horrific look carries over into the bedroom scene’s psychological weight. It’s not a "sexy" scene in the traditional sense; it’s a violation of the protagonist's reality.
Why It Caused a Stir in the 90s
The 90s loved an erotic thriller. Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Disclosure. But The Devil's Advocate was different because it injected the supernatural into the boardroom.
Critics at the time, like Roger Ebert, noted that the film was essentially a modern morality play. The sex scene wasn't just fluff. It was a visual representation of "The Great Deceiver." By making the act of intimacy the site of a demonic trick, the filmmakers pushed the R-rating to its limit.
💡 You might also like: Ashley Johnson: The Last of Us Voice Actress Who Changed Everything
There was also the controversy regarding the art in the background of the film's climax, which resulted in a lawsuit from sculptor Frederick Hart. While that didn't affect the sex scene directly, it added to the "forbidden" aura of the movie. People felt like they were watching something they weren't supposed to see.
Decoding the Symbolism: Sex as a Contract
In the world of John Milton (Pacino’s character), everything is a transaction. Everything.
Kevin Lomax thinks he’s getting a high-paying job, a fancy apartment, and a glamorous life. He doesn't realize he’s signed away his right to the truth. The Devil’s Advocate sex scene is the moment the "contract" becomes physical.
- The Erasure of Identity: Kevin is sleeping with a "concept," not a person.
- The Isolation of Mary Ann: This is the moment she is fully gaslit. When she tells Kevin what happened, he dismisses her. That's the real horror.
- The Power Dynamics: Christabella represents the firm. Mary Ann represents his soul/hometown roots. By engaging in that scene, Kevin is choosing the firm, even if he's doing it subconsciously.
It’s actually pretty dark when you break it down. It’s not just a scene for the sake of having an R-rating. It’s a narrative tool that shows Kevin’s internal rot. He wants the fantasy so badly that he’s willing to ignore that the person in his arms is literally morphing into someone else.
Reality vs. Illusion
Kevin’s vanity is his "favorite sin," as Milton says at the end. His vanity allows him to stay in that bed even when things get weird. A "good" man would have stopped. A "good" man would have been horrified. Kevin is just confused, and then he goes right back to work the next day.
That’s the nuance Pacino and Hackford were going for. The devil doesn't have to force you to do anything. He just sets the stage and lets your own desires do the heavy lifting.
📖 Related: Archie Bunker's Place Season 1: Why the All in the Family Spin-off Was Weirder Than You Remember
Legacy of the Scene in Modern Cinema
You don't see scenes like this much anymore. Modern horror tends to be either very "elevated" and metaphorical or very "slasher" and direct. The "Supernatural Erotic Thriller" is kind of a dead genre.
However, you can see the DNA of this scene in movies like Hereditary or The Witch. It’s that feeling of "domestic horror"—the idea that the person sitting across from you (or lying next to you) isn't who they say they are.
It’s also worth noting that this film was a massive risk for Keanu Reeves. He actually took a pay cut so the studio could afford Al Pacino. He wanted the movie to be a serious acting piece, not just another action flick. That dedication shows in the smaller, more disturbing moments like the bedroom transition. He plays it with a mix of arousal and burgeoning panic that sells the supernatural element.
Actionable Takeaways for Cinephiles
If you're revisiting this movie or watching it for the first time, pay attention to the following:
- The Color Palette: Notice how blue/grey the scenes with Mary Ann are compared to the gold/red tones of the scenes involving the firm or Christabella.
- The Sound Design: There’s a slight low-frequency hum during the transition in the sex scene. It’s designed to make you feel anxious.
- The Reflections: The movie is obsessed with mirrors. Almost every major revelation happens via a reflection. The bedroom scene is one of the few times the "truth" is seen directly, yet Kevin still looks away.
The Devil's Advocate sex scene remains a masterclass in how to use practical horror to tell a story about moral decay. It’s gross, it’s beautiful, and it’s deeply cynical. It reminds us that in the world of Milton, even our most private moments are up for sale if the price is right.
To truly understand the impact, watch the scene immediately following it—the one where Mary Ann tries to explain her "hallucination." The contrast between her visceral trauma and Kevin’s "rational" legal mind is where the movie’s real teeth are.
Next Steps for Further Exploration:
- Compare the visual style of this scene to the works of Francis Bacon to see the direct artistic influences.
- Research the "Lomax vs. Milton" legal themes to see how the sexual politics of the film mirror the courtroom battles.
- Watch Charlize Theron’s early interviews about the film to understand the physical toll the role took on her.