Go to the theater any given Thursday and check out what’s on the marquee. It’ll display two or three new features, the big blockbusters with staying power, and maybe an indie film or two. However, an overtly Christian film is almost always buried in the list. Those Christian films seem to be getting a little less overt these days. Look atNefarious, a surprisingly Christian conservative feature.
Christian folks looking for alittle bit of messiahat the multiplex are spoiled for choice at the moment. Stop on by forHis Only Sonto see a modestly budgeted, but incredibly well-received adaptation of the tale of Abraham and Isaac. Those looking for something a bit lighter could check outJesus Revolution, which tells the true story of a pastor’s discovery of a new movement within the faith. Or, if they want something spooky, they should check outNefarious, a demon possession film that’s scared to admit that it’s Christian.
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What isNefariousAbout?
Based on the 2016 novel by noted conservative talk show host Steve Deace,Nefariousstars Sean Patrick FlaneryofBoondock Saintsfameas a serial killer on death row. On the day of his execution, Edward Wayne Brady starts claiming to be possessed, leading the jailers to call in a psychiatric evaluation. Enter Jordan Belfi as Dr. James Martin, a psychiatrist who is tasked with testing the serial killer’s sincerity and proving to the state that he should suffer the ultimate penalty. Once James makes it into the interview room, the film settles in for 90 minutes of in-depth debate between a demon and an atheist.
The demon, who goes by Nefarious because his name is apparently too difficult forany English-speaking humanto grapple with phonetically, happens to have a lot of strong political opinions. He touches on metaphysical issues occasionally, but he talks a lot about abortion, the death penalty, and consensual euthanasia laws. Nefarious informs James, a liberal atheist, that the psychiatrist will kill three people before their meeting is over. It swiftly becomes clear that those murders won’t be the traditional sort. Nefarious is mad about athletes making money,he hates diversity, andhe thinks the concept of “hate speech” is ridiculous. It seems weird to put one’s political views in the mouth of a literal demon, at least until one realizes that the film has pitted a liberal against a being of pure evil with the clear implication that that smug lefty is still on the wrong side of every issue. Who would frame their political views as objective truths, even when delivered through a spawn of Satan?
Who DirectedNefarious?
Surprise, it’s the writer/director/producer duo of Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman. Solomon and Konzelman have collaborated on over 15 feature films. Their work includes the entireGod’s Not Deadcinematic universe,Do You Believe?and the stomach-turning anti-abortion propaganda filmUnplanned. They have worked on some secular projects, including the adorably misguided 2001 TV movieEarth vs. the Spiderwhich brieflyfeatures Pedro Pascal asa goth guy. Their work across the 2010s has been almost entirely in the realm of Christian cinema. Their films frequently make a substantial profit over their tiny budgets, often the beneficiaries of church groups boarding buses to see each film.Critics and non-believers tendto be less kind to their films, especially regarding their extremely unsubtle message mongering.Nefariousoffers no shelter from that heavy-handed ideological influence, but it does cloak it a little better to the untrained eye.
IsNefariousa Religious Horror Film?
It should be fairly obvious at this point, but yes.Nefariousis an explicitly Christian horror film with a deep far-right ideology that it can’t wait to scream into its audience’s face for its entire runtime. In the modern era,the religious horror subgenremeans something very different most of the time.Saint Maud, for example, finds the horror in faith.Nefariousis a religious horror film in the sense that it’s a long insufferable sermon in the shoddy guise of a generic horror film. The mission of the project isn’t to frighten or compel an audience, it’s to change hearts and minds. Anyone who doesn’t firmly believe in the filmmakers' worldview will have a very bad time withNefarious, and that’s exactly why they hid that element of the film.
Nefarioussells itself as a supernatural thriller. The comments underneath the trailer compare the premise to something like the 1998 filmFallenorM. Night Shyamalan’sSplit. Some who saw the trailer expressed excitement to see a stripped-down demonic possession film. However, anyone who walked in blind would have difficulty sitting throughNefarious. Surely a direct marketing campaign aimed toward the political demographic who’d likely support the film is a smarter investment. However,Nefariousdoesn’t want to preach to the choir, it wants to trick uninformed observers into the theater so that it can lecture them. Anyone with any interest inNefariousshould know what they’re getting into. Give the title some credit, hiding a pile of political propaganda behind a run-of-the-mill horror film is prettyNefarious.
