Little Nicky
After the lord of darkness decides he will not cede his throne to any of his three sons, the two most powerful of them escape to Earth to create a kingdom for themselves. This action closes the portal filtering sinful souls to Hell and causes Satan to wither away. He must send his most weak but beloved son, Little Nicky, to Earth to return his brothers to Hell.
The film underperformed commercially against its substantial budget of $85.0M, earning $58.3M globally (-31% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its compelling narrative within the comedy genre.
1 win & 12 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Little Nicky (2000) exemplifies deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Steven Brill's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Nicky
Satan
Adrian
Cassius
Valerie
Todd
Jimmy the Demon
Beefy
Main Cast & Characters
Nicky
Played by Adam Sandler
The gentle, awkward youngest son of Satan who must save Hell and Earth from his evil brothers.
Satan
Played by Harvey Keitel
The ruler of Hell and Nicky's father, who must retire and choose a successor.
Adrian
Played by Rhys Ifans
Nicky's eldest brother, power-hungry and cruel, who seizes control of Hell.
Cassius
Played by Tom Lister Jr.
Nicky's middle brother, equally ambitious and evil as Adrian in their quest for power.
Valerie
Played by Patricia Arquette
A kind-hearted design student who befriends Nicky and becomes his love interest.
Todd
Played by Robert Smigel
A talking bulldog who becomes Nicky's loyal companion and guide on Earth.
Jimmy the Demon
Played by Allen Covert
A wisecracking demon who helps Nicky navigate New York and capture his brothers.
Beefy
Played by Peter Dante
Nicky's loyal friend and roommate, a metal-loving stoner who helps him adjust to Earth.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Nicky lives as the meek, awkward son of Satan in Hell, overlooked by his father and overshadowed by his ambitious brothers Adrian and Cassius. He's content in his timid existence, playing with his talking bulldog and avoiding confrontation.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Adrian and Cassius rebel against Satan, freeze him in a block of ice, and escape to Earth to create their own hell, causing the gates of Hell to seal and Satan to begin dying. Nicky's comfortable world is shattered.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Nicky makes the active choice to leave Hell and travel to Earth (New York City) to save his father and Hell itself. He emerges in the mortal world, confused and overwhelmed but committed to his mission., moving from reaction to action.
At 46 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Nicky successfully captures Cassius in the flask and shares a romantic breakthrough with Valerie, kissing her and experiencing genuine love. False victory: he feels capable and happy, but Adrian remains free and is growing stronger., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Adrian kills Nicky by tricking him and beating him to death. Nicky's body dies and his soul descends, seemingly ending any hope of saving his father or stopping his brothers. The whiff of death is literal—the protagonist is murdered., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 70 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Nicky meets his mother—an angel—in Heaven and learns he is half-angel, which explains his goodness. She gives him the insight and power he needs. This revelation allows him to synthesize his demonic abilities with his angelic nature, and he's resurrected with newfound strength and clarity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Little Nicky's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Little Nicky against these established plot points, we can identify how Steven Brill utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Little Nicky within the comedy genre.
Steven Brill's Structural Approach
Among the 7 Steven Brill films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Little Nicky takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Steven Brill filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Steven Brill analyses, see Heavyweights, Without a Paddle and Movie 43.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Nicky lives as the meek, awkward son of Satan in Hell, overlooked by his father and overshadowed by his ambitious brothers Adrian and Cassius. He's content in his timid existence, playing with his talking bulldog and avoiding confrontation.
Theme
Satan tells his sons that "if you're good at something, you should keep doing it" during the announcement ceremony, establishing the theme that one's true nature and goodness matter more than ambition or heritage.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Hell's hierarchy, Satan's 10,000-year reign coming to an end, the power dynamics between the brothers, and Nicky's speech impediment and gentle nature that makes him unsuitable for ruling Hell in everyone's eyes.
Disruption
Adrian and Cassius rebel against Satan, freeze him in a block of ice, and escape to Earth to create their own hell, causing the gates of Hell to seal and Satan to begin dying. Nicky's comfortable world is shattered.
Resistance
Satan instructs the reluctant Nicky that he must go to Earth to capture his brothers and save Hell. Nicky resists, doubting his abilities, but his father gives him a magical flask to trap his brothers. Preparation and reluctance dominate as Nicky fears the surface world.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Nicky makes the active choice to leave Hell and travel to Earth (New York City) to save his father and Hell itself. He emerges in the mortal world, confused and overwhelmed but committed to his mission.
Mirror World
Nicky meets Valerie, a kind-hearted design student who shows him compassion and acceptance despite his strangeness. She represents the goodness and love that Nicky has never experienced, embodying the film's theme that goodness transcends origin.
Premise
Nicky explores Earth, learning about humanity while bumbling through attempts to catch his brothers. Fish-out-of-water comedy as he befriends homeless men, gets hit by cars, possesses people, and slowly gains confidence while falling for Valerie. The "fun and games" of a devil's son experiencing New York.
Midpoint
Nicky successfully captures Cassius in the flask and shares a romantic breakthrough with Valerie, kissing her and experiencing genuine love. False victory: he feels capable and happy, but Adrian remains free and is growing stronger.
Opposition
Adrian's power on Earth grows as he corrupts more souls. He learns about Nicky's relationship with Valerie and plots against him. Nicky's demonic origins are revealed to Valerie, threatening their relationship. The pressure intensifies as Satan continues to weaken and Adrian gains control.
Collapse
Adrian kills Nicky by tricking him and beating him to death. Nicky's body dies and his soul descends, seemingly ending any hope of saving his father or stopping his brothers. The whiff of death is literal—the protagonist is murdered.
Crisis
Nicky's soul is in limbo. He processes his failure and death, facing the dark reality that he wasn't strong enough. His friends on Earth mourn him, and Hell continues to deteriorate without hope.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Nicky meets his mother—an angel—in Heaven and learns he is half-angel, which explains his goodness. She gives him the insight and power he needs. This revelation allows him to synthesize his demonic abilities with his angelic nature, and he's resurrected with newfound strength and clarity.
Synthesis
Nicky returns to Earth with angel powers, rallies his friends, confronts Adrian in a final battle, defeats both brothers, saves his father and Hell, and restores balance. He executes his mission with his complete self—both devil and angel.
Transformation
Nicky chooses to stay on Earth with Valerie and their newborn son rather than return to Hell, having transformed from a timid, overlooked demon into a confident being who embraces both his dark and light sides, finding his own path based on love and goodness.