The Faustian pact can be traced all the way back to the 16th century. The trope originated in The Historia von D. Johann Fausten before garnering steam in Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and Goethe’s Faust. The basic premise essentially deals with a man selling his soul to Mephistopheles in exchange for power, wealth, and pleasure. Since then, the concept has been applied to countless stories about people giving their souls to devilish entities in exchange for treats.
The Devil Went Down to Islington is an upcoming horror-comedy that puts a quintessentially British spin on the idea. The film stars Spencer Brown (Nathan Barley) and James Lance (Ted Lasso) as a pair of teachers who sell their souls for three days of good fortune following a wild night out. However, once they realise that their souls will be damned for eternity, they recruit an unhinged priest (Michael Smiley) to get them out of their agreement with the Father of Lies – but can they stop the bodies from piling up?
As you’ll see from the trailer, the film deals with some non-devilish concepts that most people can relate to. The protagonist is unlucky in love, hates his job, and is pursuing a music career that isn’t going anywhere. Viewers can also expect a healthy helping of splatter to accompany the laughs.
Dominic Coleman (Paddington, His House), Mark Benton (Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, Waterloo Road), and Ronni Ancona (The Sketch Show, The Big Impression) also star in The Devil Went Down to Islington. The film was directed by Daniel Wilson (Eastenders, River City) from a script that was co-written by Alex Martin (Trick) and Rutger Andree Wiltens.
The Devil Went Down to Islington will arrive on Digital HD on October 23 – just in time for Halloween.
