My brain insists it was a Faust story. There were three plot threads all happening in the same university: a group of students was making a film (bullying and other violent acts were increasing overall in the university), a troubled relationship between a guy and a girl, some (male?) students had noticed a guy who was VERY weird. He could quote really OLD, classic texts but was totally unfamiliar with basic pop culture things. He seemed not to know how to human. He was Satan in disguise.
He also strongly insinuated himself into friendship with the guy in the love story and was a total wingman for him. Trying to get him and the girl together. She was a troubled person I think, the violence I mentioned touched her I think because a boyfriend ended up hitting her? The violence in campus increasing (along with other ugly acts) was a side-effect of Satan hanging around.
The climax was a bit muddled but my main takeaway was that Lucifer had come to earth because another demon was here running around loose. He was either unconsciously influencing the dude in the love subplot OR was actually him (he had forgotten he was a demon?) and Satan accused him of using his powers to seduce the lady. He was a Faust-Mephistopheles all put together. And that was all fun and games but he needed to set out the rules of the contract. That is how things were done. That is FAIR.
There was a wonderful scene where Lucifer in all his formerly angelic glory landed before this prodigal demon and exposed him. I think having come to earth was part of a coup? Something like that. Lucifer, very kindly, said to the girl: “You are with him and think that you have never felt like this before, sex has never been as good with anyone else as with him, you have never been this in love? It is because of what he is.”
This is where the Faust theme becomes muddled. Lucifer forces the demon to give the girl a contract, like the one Faust had. But I am not sure if the girl was getting the contract or it was actually the guy getting the contract, because he and the demon were not in fact the same person. The plot twist was that HE was not getting the contract it was her. I think Lucifer razed the place. Or something happened and SHE died. But there was a scene with her dead where Lucifer asked her a variation of the Faust thing “Was it worth it?” And she smiled and said yes. In spite everything she had loved the guy. In spite of everything she had been very happy. Lucifer smile and let her go, Thank you, he said, thank you for that.
It might be because of reading His Dark Materials lately but the whole theme of the dream seemed to be that Lucifer was just enjoying vicariously experiencing humanity through the humans. I've thought about it, and it must have been so lonely and frustrating to not be able to inhabit the earth for too long, lest you cause the worst impulses in humanity to flourish. You love them but can never be among them for too long.
I woke up thinking I have GOT to read The Master and Margarita and a friend suggested watching Lucifer on Netflix too.