Original subtitles

- You choose your fruit carefully.

You're a big fruit lover, eh?

- I'm shopping for a friend.

- Oh!

Well then perhaps you'd like

to give her a nice firm banana. (laughing)

What is your hesitation?

You are worried about being out of wedlock, huh?

I could marry you. I'm a deity in the Hindu religion.

- Do you have a name for me?

- Oh, yes.

And I'm delighted to say that he too is a purveyor

of fine foods.

- A grocer?

- Oh, no, not a lowly grocer.

A chef. The finest chef in the world.

In fact, some people say his cooking is so good,

it's almost supernatural.

He's had an excellent run of good luck,

but nothing's free in this world.

And you'll be the errand boy sent

by a grocery clerk to collect the bill.(chuckling)

- What's his name?

- [The Devil] Maxwell Gunn.

(ominous music)

(people screaming)

(flames sizzling)

(somber music)

(patrons chattering indistinctly)

(dishes clattering)

- [Maxwell] Um, you asked to see me.

- I'm here about your deal.

- (sighing) Well, come.

When does it start? I'm gonna lose everything, right?

- How do you know that?

- Why else would you be here two days early?

- I'm not here to collect.

I'm here to offer you a chance at salvation.

- Salvation?

I've been terrified waiting for the end to come.

I'll do anything. Anything.

(water boiling) (knives chopping)

- Well, actually, you're not my first chef.

A long time ago, I collected from a man named Vatel.

- The Vatel? But that was...

He died in 1671.

- I never met anyone who cared more

about one thing than Vatel cared

about making the perfect meal.

- But wait, he committed suicide.

- His last 48 hours started just

as the king arrived to eat his food.

Vatel kept trying to hold on

to the devil's gifts right to the very end.

Don't make his mistake.

It's one thing that doesn't make sense to me, though.

Why here? I mean, why not Paris?

- North America's the new frontier.

I knew no one could compare to me here.

The devil promised me secrets, recipes for delicacies

that no one has seen in 2000 years.

Once news of my abilities began to spread, people began

to fly in from all over the world just for a single meal.

My deal has brought joy into people's lives.

- We need to focus on who

could have been hurt by your deal.

Someone who got enough bad luck to balance your good luck.

- There isn't a chef in the world

that doesn't hate me for my success.

- Is there someone in particular in Vancouver?

- There's one man, Reggie Brookes.

I never thought of it, but he's taken

a big fall the last several years.

I don't even know where he is.

- Max, Brett has a question about the venison.

Is everything okay?

- Fine.

- I'm Darla, and you are?

- [Morgan] Morgan Pym.

- What's your business with Max?

- It's a private matter. I'll call you.

- Well, Max's private business is my business too.

I'm his wife.

- It's okay, honey.

Morgan's an old friend. We were just getting caught up.

- Oh, well, if he's an old friend,

then he'll have to come to dinner tonight,

so we can get to know each other.

We eat at 1:00 AM after the restaurant closes.

- Thanks. I don't eat after midnight.

- Friends make exceptions.

- I can't make it.

- Look, Mr. Pym, my husband's been looking

over his shoulder for a year now,

and he won't tell me what he's afraid of.

If it's you, I will find out who you are

and what you're up to.

And in the meantime, I won't let you get

within a mile of Max,

or you can come to dinner tonight

and we can talk about old times.

- Sure. I'd love to.

- Good.

And since this has nothing to do

with business, you'll bring a date.

Someone who knows you personally. As soon as you can.

- What was I supposed to do?

Tell her you're a messenger from the Devil?

- I'm gonna find out what I can about Reggie Brookes.

See you at dinner.

(Maxwell sighing)

- Gabe, dinner's ready. It's Chinese.

Wash your hands?

Actually, I was reading, kids are better

off eating a little dirt, builds up their immune systems,

which makes me feel a lot better about my housekeeping.

(alarming music)

(Gabe panting)

- You haven't been invited to dinner for centuries.

Will you be dressing up?

- Get out.

- I was only bringing you a little something

to take to dinner.

It's always good to bring a gift.

- I'll skip the poison apples, thanks.

- It's not poisoned.

It's my own special variety, plucked, you might say,

from the tree of knowledge you'd rather not have.

Care for a bite?

- I have some work to do.

- So, have you decided?

- Decided what?

- Whether the possibility

of saving one soul is worth endangering another.

- Morgan? You gonna bring your bike in?

- Oh yeah, right.

So how's work?

- That's okay. I took tonight off to study.

- For what?

- My GED. Just me, 500 high school dropouts,

and a number two pencil. (chuckling)

- Oh, right.

- So, are you any good at algebra?

Wanna show me some equations? Hm?

- I have some work to do,

but I got invited to a dinner tonight

by an old friend, and I'm supposed to bring a date.

(austere music)

(Gabe retching)

- Hey, why don't you lay back, buddy?

You think it's something you ate at school?

I know you didn't touch your dinner?

- I was only in Paris once, a family trip when I was 14.

Traveling didn't really bring out the best in us,

but we sort of kept it together,

until I met a French guy in the hotel lobby.

He was only 16, but he was smoking a Gauloises,

and I thought he was so sophisticated.

I was only gone for a few hours,

but my dad had a total meltdown.

So what were we eating? It was delicious.

- Thank you. It's not very fancy.

It's fried trout.

- We had turtle soup and creamed chicken for starters.

Does that mean the entree is gonna be roast pheasant?

- I told you he knew his history.

- What history?

- This was the menu for the last meal Vatel cooked

for Louis XIV.

- So, how long have you two been together?

- Oh. I'm surprised Morgan didn't fill you in.

After all, he and Max have known each other,

what is it?

- [Morgan] 10 years. - [Darla] Mm.

- But we've been out of touch.

- Hmm.

- [Maya] Morgan never tells me anything.

- Well, I started working for Max

about five years ago, as a sous chef.

We fell in love on the job

and got married a couple years later.

How long have you two been together?

- Uh. I'm not sure I could put an exact date on it.

- Did you meet at your restaurant?

- No. Morgan got me the job there, though.

We actually met... - She saved my life.

(sentimental music)

I was lost, and she made me feel human again.

- (chuckling) Oh, cool. Looks delicious.

- You outdid yourself again, darling.

This looks fantastic.

- Thank you.

Please, bon appétit.

(maggots squelching) (startling music)

(ominous music)

(Morgan clearing throat)

- Look, I'm sorry about tonight.

- It's not your fault your friend's

out of his freaking mind.

Was he really a friend?

- What do you mean?

(keys rattling)

- I figured he might be one of your hobbies, you know?

Like the ones you seem to pick up all the time.

Like you picked me up. (Morgan scoffing)

Hey, don't worry about it.

It was nice to spend the evening with you,

even if I was just providing social cover.

- Well, then. Good night.

- Don't go yet. Check out my new wallpaper.

- Wow, this is nice.

- I know, it's a work in progress,

but change the inside and you'll change the outside.

That's what my sponsor says.

Maybe it's the other way around.

God. I could drink right now, you know?

You come home, after a weird night, you just wanna relax

with a friend or whatever.

(kissing smack)

Then again, there are other ways to relax.

- Such as?

- Such as, a warm bath.

Maybe you care to join me.

- I have to get up early tomorrow.

- Suit yourself.

(kissing smack)

(Morgan chuckling)

- I'll be there as soon as I can.

No, it's not Gabe again.

Okay, yes it is, but what do I do? He's sick.

Come on, Gabe. Eat just a little of it.

What do you want me to do, lock him

in the closet while I'm gone?

He's a kid.

No, I know it's not your fault.

Look, how about I bring him in with me?

He's quiet. He's really neat.

He'd probably just line up everything on the shelves.

But you let Sally bring her daughter in on the weekend.

And why should I...

How can you say that?

How can you say that about him?

Fine. I'll solve this right now.

I quit. (phone beeping)

Okay.

Now, if I can give up eating too, we'll be fine.

- It was fresh when we put it away last night.

Everything was fresh.

- Yeah, then how did all this fresh food rot overnight?

- Well, obviously it didn't.

Someone must have brought it in.

- Someone broke into your restaurant,

stole nothing but left bad food?

- Look, it's obvious we're being framed.

Anyone can see that.

Why else would you just happen

to show up on this particular morning?

- Because, we had three reports of suspected food poisoning

from people who ate in your restaurant last night.

- I have to go for awhile.

- What?! Max, you can't leave now.

They're trying to shut us down.

- I'm not trying. I'm doing it.

- I'm sorry, but I have to go.

- Max, for God's sakes. Tell me what's going on.

- I can't.

(hot dogs sizzling)

- Thanks.

- [Maxwell] Reggie?

- Sorry. Closed.

- Why're...

What are you doing here?

You're one of the best chefs in North America.

- Yeah. Best dog in town.

Fresh horse meat with a ketchup mustard glaze

and a relish reduction.

Just get the hell outta my way.

- Look, Mr. Brookes, we've worked very hard to find you.

We want to help you, if you'll let us.

- Yeah? And who the hell are you?

I know you're not his sous chef. You're not pretty enough.

- I'm an advisor.

- Please, Reggie, I need you to tell me.

How did you get here?

- You should know.

My place went out of business because of you.

I had all the high-end customers as regulars,

but they said my food just didn't compare to yours.

So after that, I worked for some other people,

but I had some accidents.

Maybe it was the antidepressants.

Maybe it was the booze I was mixing them with.

After awhile, I couldn't even get arrested. (chuckling)

Or actually, I could, a couple of times.

So I didn't have a lot of career options.

I know this cart is crap. I know I'm crazy.

But at least I'm cooking, you know?

- (sighing) What am I supposed to do?

- You have to make him an offer.

- Like what, money?

- No, that's too easy.

You have to help Reggie get back what he's lost.

You have to help him become a chef again.

- (scoffing) How the hell am I supposed

to do that in the time I've got left?

I can't offer him a job at my restaurant.

The Devil just shut it down.

- You know other restaurateurs, other chefs.

- Look, it doesn't work like that.

No one that one's a fine restaurant is gonna hire

a derelict just 'cause I ask 'em to.

- Well, there must be something you can do.

- How do you know?

- Because, it's the only rule if the Devil can't break.

Amends are always possible.

- The devil makes his own rules.

I think you would've learned that by now.

- [Morgan] If there's anything that we can do to help, call.

- I don't know why I did it.

It was an okay job, and I actually had it for three weeks.

That's a record for me.

- [Maya] Well, you'll find another job.

- [Taylor] Do I complain a lot?

- [Maya] Compared to who?

- [Taylor] Well, you, for instance. You're always so upbeat.

(Maya chuckling)

- Come on.

You gotta have something you wanna complain about.

- [May] Pass.

- How about Morgan?

- What about him?

- Well, you're in love with him, right?

- [Maya] Who told you that?

- The death laser that you aimed at me

when you thought we were dating. (chuckling)

- Oh.

- [Taylor] So how's that going?

- It isn't.

- Why? Is he gay or something?

- (scoffing) I think I can safely say he's into women.

- So, what's the problem?

- I don't know.

Sometimes he wants me so bad,

I can feel it coming off him like heat.

And then he'll turn around and just walk away.

I know it isn't going anywhere, and that I should blow him

off and find someone else, but I don't.

I just keep trying and trying because there's this voice

in my head that tells me that we're meant

for each other, and I don't even believe

in soulmates or destiny or whatever.

And every time I put my heart out there, and he steps on it,

I just feel like sticking a needle in my arm,

just stepping off the edge, and calling it quits.

Now that I'm straight, I can't even do that.

- That's some good complaining.

- Thanks.

- (sighing) My boss called him a freak.

That's why I quit.

Look at me.

I'm almost 30 years old, and I don't know

what I wanna do when I grow up.

I have never been with a guy longer than three months.

The only reason I live in a house is because my sister died.

I don't know who I am, where I'm going,

and the only reason I have any meaning in my life is him.

I'm the freak. (Taylor and Maya chuckling)

(melancholy music) (marker scrawling)

(elevator dinging)

- Ah!

Delivering my apples door to door is proving

an excellent way to get new clients.

So I showed Mrs. Highbush the awful truth about herself.

It made her much more open to self-improvement.

- Stay out of my building.

- It's a little late to get territorial, dear boy.

I'm afraid the sanctity of your homestead has

already been violated.

(tense music)

(door creaking)

(tense music)

- They're lowering us to one star.

Do you know what it means for any chef

to lose his Michelin rating?

Bernard Loiseau committed suicide over it.

Max is the only rated chef in North America.

How do you think it makes him feel?

- Why are you here, Darla?

- I wanna know who you are.

I wanna know why someone powerful enough, rich enough,

to control the health department, to control Michelin,

would live in this outhouse.

- What makes you think I have anything to do with this?

- It started when you came.

What do you have against Max? Why are you destroying him?

- I'm not doing it.

- If you don't think I'm capable

of pulling this trigger, you are wrong.

I have done it before. I will do it again.

Anything to save my max. (gun clicking)

- Max has to save himself.

Shooting me will only make his situation worse.

- He has never kept a secret from me.

I wanna know what's going on.

(gunshot ringing out) (Darla shouting)

(Morgan grunting)

(Darla gasping) (flames sizzling)

(Darla panting)

- [Maxwell] She shot at you?!

- [Darla] She thinks she missed, but she meant to kill me.

She seemed to be saying that she's killed before.

- No, that's impossible.

- Well, maybe it would've been impossible without your deal.

- [Maxwell] You think this is my fault.

- Reggie Brookes lost his career,

but apparently, your wife has lost her mind.

Or at least her conscience.

I'm betting that's the bad luck from your deal.

Do you know where she is?

- No. I haven't seen her all day.

- How did you meet her?

- I was visiting the culinary institute here.

She was a student, a brilliant one.

Said she wanted to be my sous chef one day.

- [Morgan] But you already had

a sous chef, Marie LaChapelle.

I did some research. LaChapelle died about five years ago.

- That was...

I couldn't have been.

- [Morgan] The police said it was

a gang shooting outside of a club.

Wrong place, wrong time.

- I think it was Darla.

- No.

- The devil can influence people

to make choices if they're vulnerable.

She obviously idolizes you. He played on that.

It wasn't her fault.

- What can I do?

- Find her. Then we can talk about amends.

- Okay. I'll call you.

(phone beeping)

(Darla sniffling)

- I just wanted to be close to you.

(Morgan knocking)

- [Maya] Yeah.

- I wanna talk to you about last night.

- Some other time.

- Look, I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have taken you to that dinner.

- I don't care about the dinner.

God, I have spent a lot of time thinking

about what a bastard you are, but if you knew

the things I'd done, you wouldn't be knocking on my door.

You'd hate me.

- Nothing you can do could make me hate you.

- Yeah?

- I don't know if I ever told you, but I used

to get strung out first thing in the morning

when I was on the streets.

It didn't affect me like it did my friends.

It put me this kind of dream world.

I mean, I could tell what was really happening,

but at the same time, I was somewhere else.

Let me do what I needed to do to stay alive,

and later I'd forget about what I let people do to me.

But today I remembered something.

I was with that guy I told you about, Lucas Milford,

the one that got me hooked.

One day, we didn't have any money to buy, you know?

So the dealer, big surprise wouldn't give it

to us on credit, so Lucas jumped him.

He stomped him, his head.

There was blood everywhere, and I just let him do it.

We left him there in the streets. He was dying.

But I didn't call 911.

Didn't tell anybody.

I shot up and forgot.

What kind of person could do that?

(dramatic music)

- Come on, Gabe. You love this stuff.

There's enough fat and cholesterol

on this table to kill an elephant.

Gabe, you haven't eaten anything in a whole day.

You're gonna get sick, and then you're gonna faint

during PE, and your principal's gonna give me detention.

Enough already. It's not poison, see?

Mm. Mm.

Yeah. Tastes good.

Gabe, you can't do this.

Hey, things are screwed up enough as it is.

We gotta keep the basics together.

We gotta sleep, we gotta get dressed, and we gotta eat.

Now, eat something. (Gabe screaming)

Gabe! Hey, Gabe.

Gabe, no!

Gabe, stop it.

Oh! (Gabe screaming)

Gabe, stop it, please.

Gabe. (shushing Gabe)

Gabe, please. (shushing Gabe)

(somber music)

(vehicles accelerating)

- Psst. Care for some crudités?

Try the carrots. Very good for the eyes.

I don't know why you're bothering with all this research.

I don't think your client wants to talk to you.

- He'll call.

- Surely, it must have occurred to you

that he may be willing to go to hell

rather than risk exposing his beloved wife

to a police investigation.

- Is that what you're planning?

You're going to expose her murder.

- By Jove, no! Not a bit of it.

Unlike you, I'm very considerate of women.

- Yeah. That's why he gave Maya the black apple.

- I didn't give it to her.

She paid 35 cents a pound on special,

and dredging up the past is part

of that 12 step mumbo jumbo she's up to.

I'm just pitching in.

- You're rigging the game.

Punishing her by trying to distract me

from saving my clients.

- You see? This is exactly your problem.

You've lost all sense of perspectives on these mortals.

Maya leaves a man to die in an alley,

and you blame me for bringing it up.

Some people are just evil, you know.

- Doing evil things doesn't make a person evil.

- (chuckling) You'd like to believe

that, wouldn't you, huh?

(phone ringing)

- Yeah.

- [Reggie] Morgan Pym? Reggie Brookes.

- Mr. Brookes, what can I do for you?

- You can tell me the real reason you

and Maxwell Gunn came to see me.

- I told you. Maxwell wants to help you.

- Oh, that's a lie. Everything about this guy is a lie.

Like he tells everybody he's from here, but he's not.

- I don't know what you mean.

Every article about him talks

about how he was born and raised here.

- [Reggie] The media just bought into his lies.

I didn't start thinking about it until he came

to see me, but I've always known it was just a load of B.S.

- [Morgan] So where did he come from?

- [Reggie] Where else does chefs like him would come from?

Paris.

- [Morgan] And how long ago was this?

- Christ, I don't know. Years.

I was still on top then. Maybe nine, 10 years ago.

- What else do you know about him?

- Oh yeah. I bet you'd like to know, wouldn't you?

Exactly what kind of an advisor are you?

Is this some kind of mob thing?

- I told you, I'm just trying to help.

Yeah? Well you know what?

I'm gonna help myself.

Maxwell Gunn drove me outta business,

and now I am gonna expose that prick for the fraud he is.

- Mr. Brooke-

(phone dialing)

(phone ringing)

- [Maxwell] Hello?

- You don't have much time left, Mr. Gunn.

We'd have a better shot at saving your soul

if you'd start telling me the truth.

I already know you moved here at the start

of your deal and the Devil covered it up.

What else should I know?

- [Maxwell] Yes, it's best if you know the truth.

I'm at the restaurant.

(phone beeping)

Darla, my love, no problem is so big

that it can't be solved

with a good glass of champagne.

(glasses clinking)

(ethereal music)

(food sizzling)

- Anchovy savina.

That's the appetizer Vatel was planning

to serve the day he died.

- I was a good chef, you know?

Before I made my deal.

Not a great chef, but a good one.

- Where's Darla?

- She killed someone to work with me.

And when she confessed, you know what she was ashamed of?

She was ashamed that she couldn't cook as well as me.

Even when she used my recipes,

she was ashamed she'd let me down.

- We still have some time. We can save her.

And you too.

- How? I turned my wife into a murderer.

How do I make up for that?

- Let's talk to her. We'll figure something out.

(unsettling music)

Where is she, Max?

- Darla isn't my first wife, you know?

I had another, Colette.

I met her in cooking school.

She was a pastry chef. So talented.

She could recreate paintings to the smallest detail

out of the most delicate frosting.

I loved her so much,

but I wanted to be a great chef more than anything.

So I made my deal.

My first deal.

- You're first?

- No one remembers now.

The Devil covered it all up,

but I was the greatest chef in Paris.

I cooked for kings. No one could even touch me.

Til the last two days, and it all started to come apart.

It was horrible.

The terror of knowing the end was coming.

I prayed to God, and he didn't answer.

I said I'd do anything to save my soul.

Anything he asked.

But in the end, it wasn't God that made me an offer.

- The devil offered to renew your deal.

At what price?

- He said I had to kill Colette. God.

(sobbing) And cook her.

And I did. I did. (sobbing)

- Where is Darla, Max?

- You said you wanted to know the truth.

(forlorn music)

(locks clicking)

- [Morgan] Max? Max, what the hell are you doing?

Max, open the door!

Max! - I'm sorry.

The truth is...

The truth is, he offered to renew again,

a few hours ago.

- No, you can't do this, Max. Come on!

- He said that you did the same thing.

That you sacrificed the woman that you love

to stay outta hell.

- I didn't kill her. He did.

- Judge me if you want, but it's what I have to do.

- You can't win Max.

If you kill Darla today, you'll still go to hell.

I'm your only chance.

- (scoffing) There is no chance.

(locks clicking) Not for me.

- Max? Max?

Max! Max, open the door!

(somber music)

(Gabe shuddering)

- Whoa! In's colder than January in Delhi in here.

Another hour, and you'll be a collectorsicle. (chuckling)

- There have to be rules.

- Rules are for children's games.

- This is impossible.

You can't just condemn innocent people to death.

- Well, Darla is hardly innocent.

She killed that poor sous chef in the prime

of her sauce making ability.

So, I thought it only fair to make cooking her a condition

of Maxwell's new deal.

Actually, got the idea from your Christian deity,

body of Christ, body of Christ, body of Christ.

Personally, I always thought grand substantiation smacked

of cannibalism.

- So how long does he plan to have me locked up?

- Another 30 years?

- What?!

- Well, he's rather fond of Darla.

I had to sweeten the deal with a triple renewal.

Of course, he'll have

to offer me another sacrifice every 10 years.

(fingers snapping) I had the same arrangement

with the Phoenicians.

- He'll never get away with it.

Somebody will find me.

- Well, actually, he made me promise

that I'd keep anyone from stumbling over you

as long as he's alive.

He drives a very hard bargain.

Wouldn't it be easier for you, huh?

A 30 year vacation from all your regrets.

All those thoughts of Katrina that plague you every night.

Sorry, no pun intended.

- I just...

I just want to help people.

- (cackling) You'll never make up for it.

No matter how much good you do,

you'll never balance the evil you've done.

So, why try?

- Because...

Because I have nothing else.

(somber music)

(Max shuddering)

- I promised no one would find you by accident.

I didn't promise to keep away people who know you're here.

(phone dialing)

(phone ringing)

- (shuddering) Maya.

(fire extinguisher banging) (Maya grunting)

(Max sputtering) - Jesus.

Oh my God. You might have died.

- I have to go.

- Yeah, you gotta go to the hospital.

- I'll be fine.

- Morgan, we have to talk to the police.

He tried to kill you.

Look, I can't explain.

Thank you, for saving my life again.

(melancholy music)

(papers rustling)

(ominous music) (water running)

- He let you out.

- He tricked you, Max.

That's what he does.

Even if you kill Darla, he'll still find

a way to take your soul.

- When I...

When I killed Colette, I, uh,

had to boil her head to get the flesh off.

One of her eyes floated to the surface,

like she was looking at me, pleading with me.

But it was too late.

Too late.

I said to myself that it was okay

because she was innocent,

'cause she was gonna go to heaven.

(shuddering) I've been thinking, what if that wasn't right?

What if she had secrets, like Darla?

(butcher's knife clamoring)

(kissing smack)

(Darla groaning)

(Maxwell shushing)

Goodbye my love.

(oven door creaking) (portal whooshing)

(people screaming)

(Maxwell screaming)

(oven door slamming) (oven dinging)

- Max?

(Darla moaning)

(gentle piano music)

(birds tweeting)

- Gabe?

Gabe?

(Gabe crunching)

(spoon clinking)

(tense music)

(fireworks booming)