The Epoch Times typically doesn’t cover the horror film genre, but the buzz around “Nefarious,” which was released in April, has been strong, so I decided to see what the fuss was about.
The main problem is it’s a scant, spare movie for those who like “The Flash”-type bombast. It would make a great two-character stage production. Because it’s basically a theological, philosophical, metaphysical, and psychological debate. It’s not really horror (other than the fact that the antagonist claims to be an incarnated demon); it’s more of a psychological thriller along the lines of “Silence of the Lambs” but without the gore.
The world currently needs more of this type of debate. As the demon claims, the world is choosing sides, and it’s basically atheism versus the belief in an almighty Creator whose creation features rock-solid moral underpinnings that do not change with the whims of humans.
Premise
The film’s premise holds promise as a pretty good nail-biter. Dr. James Martin (“Entourage” alum Jordan Belfi, looking like a thinner, more pinched version of Christopher Reeves) is a 35-year-old, can-I-please-slap-him type of disdainful, self-satisfied psychiatrist. The original shrink slated to take the case commits freakish suicide, and so Dr. Martin steps up to the plate.After being frisked, wanded, and buzzed into the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, Martin enters an interrogation-type room to interview the chained and shackled Edward Wayne Brady (Sean Patrick Flanery of “The Boondock Saints”).
Lecter-like
Much like the warning Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) receives regarding Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in “The Silence of the Lambs,” the prison warden cautions the doc that Edward is a wizard-level manipulator who can get in people’s heads like a deadly parasite, bringing to mind the scene in “Silence” where Lecter whispered for hours through the partition of the cell next to him, resulting in the inmate of that cell killing himself.‘Nefarious’
Edward goes on to claim that he’s not really this guy Edward Wayne Brady, but a demon named Nefariamous, shortened to Nefarious, who inhabits Brady’s body. And so, for most of the next hour we’re conversation-eavesdropping flies on the prison wall.
The smug, atheist shrink watches incredulously as his steadfast faith in his own lack of faith is repeatedly tapped out by an inexorable and ruthless series of theological debate joint locks and chokes. These debate jiu-jitsu submissions come by way of dark-side supernatural abilities. You can’t debate a (supposed) demonic entity, who can see into the time-space dedicated to human incarnation record-keeping, which contains your every weakness and deepest, darkest secret.
Is Nefarious/Edward just a nutcase-savant psychotic? Or actually possessed? You know. But writers-directors Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman still manage to keep things edge-of-your-seat interesting. Which is a pretty neat trick.
Merits
“Nefarious” was intended as a prequel to Steve Deace’s novel “A Nefarious Plot,” which aspires to be an updated version of C.S. Lewis’s brilliant little book, “The Screwtape Letters.” In it, a rather bureaucratic demon hilariously explains to his protégé (if I remember correctly) how the underworld works. That humorous tone is missing from “Nefarious,” obviously, since the dark psychological thriller genre is more or less the vehicle used here to tell the story. “Nefarious” is a good example of Christian filmmakers upping the ante, quality-wise, of film-making’s faith-based genre.Being faith-based, various evergreen hot-topics like abortion, cultural immorality, and God-versus-The-Devil are hit on, but interestingly, no one in the film identifies as Christian or faith-based whatsoever. The only believer in God here is the demon.
Knowledge and information equal power—power humans don’t have access to. Which is meant to demonstrate why humans, without the aid of the light side of the universe, are no match for the dark side.
In “The Screwtape Letters” the devoutly Christian C.S. Lewis took the spiritual complacency of fellow Christians to task. “Nefarious” focuses more on current secular American culture, especially the issue of abortion, via an effective, food-for-thought, demon monologue on the topic.
“Nefarious” won’t give atheists, liberals, progressives, or Marxists pause whatsoever, which is why the liberally slanted film critic community has roundly denounced it. Christians might take issue with certain things: the theology, the explanation of creation, the relationship between spirits and humans, and so on. And, the “the Devil made me do it” notion that Edward is an innocent bystander to the crimes committed by Nefarious, using Edward’s body, is a bit facile.
Performances
Flanery’s Edward/Nefarious performance is pretty virtuoso. He shifts from the tic-infested, menacing Nefarious to the broken, hapless, pitiable Edward seamlessly, with no false notes. Impressive.
Belfi’s slow burn, where his character wakes up too late to the fact that he’s been masterfully bamboozled, is serviceable. I would have liked to have seen what a Jim Caviezel or Daniel Day-Lewis could do with the role. And in the case of Day-Lewis, both roles actually.
“Nefarious” really doesn’t have an unnecessary moment except for the concluding death house scene. That could definitely go, as could the extended, epilogue featuring former Fox News host Glenn Beck, who’s a bit too lightweight acting-wise for the material. All in all, it’s an engrossing watch.
