Nefarious: A theological thriller short on nuance
Harry Khachatrian
Video Embed
From Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, the filmmaking duo behind such faith-based films as God’s Not Dead and Do You Believe?, comes their latest philosophically driven project, Nefarious, in the form of a psychological thriller.
Centering its theological discourse on the Christian concept of Satan and, more broadly, good vs. evil, the film manifests its message in two opposing characters: Dr. James Martin (Jordan Belfi), a psychiatrist and pompous skeptic, and his patient, Edward (Sean Patrick Flanery), a convicted serial killer on death row.
HOLLYWOOD WRITERS STRIKE: WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA FAILS TO REACH DEAL WITH STUDIOS
The film unfolds on execution day. It is incumbent on Dr. Martin to interrogate Edward and to diagnose his mental state. Dr. Martin must decide if he is truly of sane mind and fit for the electrocution chair or if his spate of murders were the uncontrolled actions of an addled lunatic.
Presiding under the moniker “Nefarious,” Edward posits to Dr. Martin that he is, in fact, an immortal demon that has hijacked his host’s body. The film’s highlight is Flanery’s performance as the dual personalities inhabiting the death row convict. He weaves in and out of the demonic denizen, alternating between a menacing countenance and the demure, fear-stricken stutter of the host. Nearly rivaling Anthony Hopkins’s illustrious manifestation of evil in Hannibal Lecter, it is the only facet of Nefarious that keeps the film enticing.
The main problem with Nefarious, like most politically driven films, is that entertainment plays second fiddle to the message. The entire film comprises Dr. Martin and Edward’s conversation in the prison holding room as the psychiatrist tries to make sense of his subject’s odious musings. The film is a Christian allegory, and it is conveyed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Nefarious trots out controversial social issues ranging from euthanasia to abortion, for which the screenplay has Edward, the effigy for Satan, draw parallels to murder and ritualistic pagan child sacrifice. Regrettably, there was no time to discuss social security reform, but there’s always the sequel.
Ayn Rand’s novels are often criticized for the bluntness with which she conveys her philosophies through dialogue and character, but at least The Fountainhead’s Howard Roark and Toohey are complex, multidimensional characters with genuine depth. Nefarious presents its ostensible protagonist, Dr. Martin, as a hollow mimicry of a college sophomore atheist. “Good and evil aren’t real things,” he claims in one scene. “They are social constructs.” Despite his esteemed credentials from Johns Hopkins, his character appears remarkably unrefined intellectually.
In another scene, a concerned Dr. Martin invites the prison chaplain, whose erudition in theology he hopes will address Edward’s claims of demonic possession. The presence of the Roman-collared clergyman marks the first time Edward’s evil inhabitant expresses genuine fear. But it is only for a fleeting moment, as the priest immediately pacifies him by suggesting that the church now views possessions as manifestations of mental illness.
A more nuanced critique that the film does get right comes in Edward’s explanation of how he (the demon spirit) came to inhibit his host. He explains that evil doesn’t spawn immediately in its entirety but rather slowly creeps in; as minor moral issues are brushed aside to assuage temptation, the once-incipient evil gradually snowballs into a person capable of multiple murders.
On Rotten Tomatoes, audiences laud Nefarious with 97% approval, while critics largely dismiss it — a striking disparity reflecting the film’s polarizing nature. While its strong Christian allegory, challenging of Hollywood orthodoxies, and bold stances on hot political issues may resonate with some, they will invariably deter others. Nefarious falls somewhere in between: It is a well-made film that tackles substantial themes but lacks the necessary subtlety, providing viewers with more of a sermon than a space for personal reflection on the issues it presents.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a computer engineer in Toronto pursuing his MBA.