Now Showing: Lucifer

 

Lucifer

Genre: Dark Comedy/Fantasy/Musical

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: John Malone

Based on DC Comics characters

Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Theroux, Julia Butters, Adeline Rudolph, Vinne Jones, Daniel Henney, Tom Felton, Billy Idol (cameo), Sting (cameo)

Plot: Lucifer Morningstar (Jonny Lee Miller) performs "My Way" at his Miami Beach nightclub Lux to a half capacity crowd of influencers and drunk real estate agents who barely pay any attention. After a spattering of applause, Lucifer drunkenly clarifies some information about his past to the crowd - namely that he is not a "fallen" angel - he insists that he chose to walk away. After the performance wraps up for the night, Lucifer drinks the rest of the night away in the VIP lounge as his wary, demonic assistant Mazikeen (Adeline Rudolph) reluctantly brings him more and more drinks.

Lucifer wakes in the morning hungover in the VIP booth still. He wanders out into the bright Florida sun where a street preacher is protesting his nightclub. The priest attempts to exorcise Lucifer with a plastic crucifix and a bottle of Evian water. Lucifer charms the priest, signing the priest's Bible, and even posing for a selfie. Lucifer does ask that the priest tag the nightclub in any social media post the priest makes using the picture.

From a rooftop bar, Lucifer pulls out his phone while he downs a bloody mary. He calls Sting (Sting) - yes, that Sting - to try to book him to perform a night at Lux. The conversation with the former Police frontman rapidly devolves into passive-aggression and an old grudge. Sting mentions Morocco. Lucifer hangs up and throws the phone into the ocean. 

Later, Lucifer practices "Golden Years" to a crowd of mannequins Mazikeen has set up to emulate a full crowd. One of the mannqeuins falls over at the crescendo of the song. Lucifer finishes the song anyway.

Scouts sent from Heaven - Duma (Daniel Henney) and Remiel (Tom Felton) - descend down to Hell to investigate. They enter a corridor of colossal mouths, etched into the terrain. The mouths devour sound and twist memories. Duma tries to speak—his voice is torn from his throat and warped into eerie song. He doesn’t speak again. The deeper they go, the more alive Hell becomes. It doesn’t mourn Lucifer. It remembers him. It whispers to them in his voice. Terrified, the angels flee. Back in Heaven, they arrive gasping for breath. Amenadiel (Vinnie Jones) meets them at the gate. They describe what they saw — Hell without a master, birthing its own rules. Amenadiel suggests the time has come to remind Lucifer what divine authority looks like. 

Meanwhile, Lucifer wakes up on a pool table. Mazikeen is sweeping glass off the bar and muttering about wasted potential. Lucifer dials Billy Idol’s agent: “Tell him Miami’s calling and it’s offering booze, blood, and a second chance at immortality.”

That night, Duma and Remiel arrive at Lux in full celestial regalia. A drunken tourist mistakes them for a themed drag act and tips them with crumpled singles. Lucifer greets them with tequila and scripture, quoting Revelations before realizing aloud that the section he was quoting is just some nonsense he wrote on a drunken night in Rome. Duma and Remiel deliver a warning to Lucifer to return to Hell - the dominion he created. Lucifer waves them off, informing them that he did not create Hell - it built itself around him. He then excuses himself to perform “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”. 

Michael Demiurgos (Justin Theroux), Lucifer's brother, arrives in his radiant glory from Heaven with his daughter Elaine Belloc (Julia Butters) in tow. He wanders into Lux's VIP lounge, kneeling beneath a neon sign that reads SINNERS ONLY to pray. Elaine is Heaven's reluctant heir, rebellious and far too powerful for her own safety, according to Michael. Michael confesses to Lucifer that he doesn't know what to do with her as she is not listening to him. Michael suggests that maybe she'll listen to Lucifer - he is the blueprint for rebellion after all. Lucifer is reluctant but intrigued. Lucifer tries to lecture her about restraint and responsibility but gets sidetracked when a bartender messes up his Negroni. Elaine walks off, drink in hand.

Later that night, Elaine wanders the streets of Miami - seeing both the good and the bad.  They pass a street performer doing an elaborate sand painting of Dante’s Inferno. A preacher on a corner rails about sin while taking bribes for blessings. A child shares their last slice of pizza with a stray dog. A teenager graffitis a mural of wings on the side of an old church. As she rounds the corner of a darkened alley, she finds a homeless man collapsed near a food cart, shaking, barely conscious. No one stops. No one notices. Elaine kneels beside him and places a hand over his chest. Her eyes glow faintly — not violently. Light pulses gently through her fingers. His breathing slows. The tremors stop. She smiles softly and tells him he’s safe now. From across the street, just arriving, Lucifer watches. His expression softens — not at the miracle, but at the choice to do it. Lucifer finally catches up with Elaine,  comments that she never realized how messy humanity is. Lucifer smiles, saying that at least humans always got to choose what kind of mess they want to be - something they never had in Heaven. Lucifer explains that when the Big Guy made humans, he gave them free will - but the angels, his so-called first children were simply told to obey. Together they roam the city: rooftop pools, back-alley tarot readers, abandoned churches. They perform a duet of "Bittersweet Symphony" at a dive bar karaoke night. 

Meanwhile, Amenadiel walks through Heaven's War Forge, where angels sharpen wings into blades and etch divine code into armor with stardust. He dons celestial armor as Duma and Remiel join him as he preaches cleansing the corruption that Lucifer has left behind - starting with Lucifer himself. Michael sees Amenaadiel's forces gathering, but isn't sure what he should do about it.

Lucifer and Elaine have return to Lux after their night out on the town. In the morning, Mazikeen finds Elaine sitting on the edge of Lux's roof, legs dangling over the side, watching the street below. Mazikeen sits next to her. Elaine asks what Mazikeen's role is. Mazikeen at first simply says that she is Lucifer's loyal assistant. Mazikeen then comments that Lucifer isn't easy to care about. Elaine asks how Mazikeen fell into her role. Mazikeen explains that she was bred for Hell, but Lucifer never tried to control her, he just let her be herself - so she followed him out of Hell when he left to the glittering dumpster fire called Miami Beach. Elaine asks if Mazikeen loves Lucifer. Mazikeen says she does, but Lucifer doesn't need love - he just needs someone who sticks around despite everything else. Elaine scoffs at the notion, insisting that her grandfather made love important for a reason.

After witnessing Amenadiel marching through Heaven’s war forge, Michael stands alone in a floating garden above the firmament. He kneels down, clasping his hands in prayer. He asks his Heavenly Father how he should respond to the threat of war against Lucifer. A blinding white light opens in the sky. Michael remains kneeling, still waiting for an answer. But there is no answer - no direction or command, just light. Michael is left to ponder his own question. After a long moment of thought, Michael thanks Yahweh for allowing him to figure out the answer himself. He announces that he is going to Earth to protect Lucifer - not because he's right or even deserves it, but because Lucifer is his brother. 

While the Lux staff prepares for the arrival of Billy Idol, Mazikeen and Lucifer share a drink at the bar. Then the noise begins. A motorcycle roars up to the curb outside Lux, followed by a beat-up touring van. Billy Idol (himself) steps out, dressed like the 1980s never ended. His bandmates climb out of the bus, grumbling about the Miami humidity and asking where the bathrooms are. Lucifer hurries outside to greet Billy, playfully welcoming him to Hell. 

As the crowd gathers, Billy takes the stage, opening with a rendition of "Flesh for Fantasy". Lux comes alive - for the first time. Lucifer watches the performance from his balcony. Mazikeen stands next to him, slowly leaning into him. Lucifer doesn't move away. 

Suddenly, the ceiling explodes open, glass and flame cascading down. Amenadiel crashes through, followed a group of angels including Duma and Remiel. Lucifer jokes to Mazikeen that he always knew they should arm the bouncers with swords. Elaine throws up a divine barrier around civilians. Lucifer tells her to forget about them and protect Billy Idol - he's a national treasure! Chaos erupts. Mazikeen fights off Duma with knives from the bar. Remiel has second thoughts when he sees Elaine and decides to help protect civilians as he does not want to get on the bad side of the Heavenly heir. Lucifer manifests his golden wings and takes to the air to confront Amenadiel. The two clash, battling through what remains of the club's upper levels. Lucifer uses his powers to transform Amenadiel's sword into a large snake that binds the angel's arm. Amenadiel bites the snake's head off and tackles Lucifer. They fall from the second level down onto the bar, landing with a hard crash. 

Then - a blinding white light erupts through the giant hole in the ceiling. Michael descends. Amenadiel attacks him, but Michael counters with a burst of divine energy that incinerates Amenadiel's armor. Michael then punches Amenadiel cross the face, incapacitating him. Duma and the other warrior angels all drop to one knee. Lucifer rises slowly, staring at his brother with gratitude he'll never admit to. Michael looks at Amenadiel's crumpled body on the floor and notices he's still breathing. Michael asks Lucifer if he should punch Amenadiel again. Lucifer laughs, joking that a kick should do. Michael orders Duma and Remiel to drag Amenadiel's unconscious body back to Heaven - he will deal with all of them later.

The battle is over. Lux is a ruin. Billy Idol climbs out from behind the bar, tequila bottle in hand. He mutters that he probably should start going to church now. Lucifer asks Billy to play one more song. Billy picks up a guitar and starts strumming the opening notes of "Eyes Without a Face." Lucifer turns to Mazikeen and asks her to dance with him. The two sway among the smoldering ruins of the nightclub. Across the room, Michael and Elain watch - father and daughter watching as the devil finally does something right.