Dominik Graf relocates the story of the same name by Henry James from the 19th century to the year 2001.
Frank Faust is a born loser. At some point it even becomes too much for his great love, Jennifer, who leaves him and flees to Munich. Frank's desperation is the best reason for Mephisto to show up and offer a suitable pact: reconciliation with Jennifer in exchange for Frank's soul. Shaken by his predicament, Frank finds it easy to agree to the hellish proposal. In order to win back his renegade lover, Mephisto transforms himself into a wide variety of prominent contemporaries who appear at Frank's side and publicly praise his qualities - especially for Jennifer to hear. The plan seems to be working perfectly, unless Mephisto suddenly reveals a completely new side to his personality...
Eva works as a decoy. Her job is to test husbands for their fidelity. Her good friend Corinna gives her a particularly well-paid assignment. She is to seduce Stefan, the husband of the very wealthy Christiane Reedmann, and lure him into a trap. A short time later, Christiane is killed and all the evidence points to Eva as the murderer. Now Eva herself is caught in the trap.