Tags:
Film: Nefarious
Year: 2023
Directors: Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon
Writers: Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Jordan Belfi and Tom Ohmer
Review:
This is a movie that I decided to check out due to other podcasts. They were bringing up how this was divisive due to things being said and how viewers were intreprating it. I decided to watch this as my last new 2023 film for my end of year list. This makes it 100 in total.
Synopsis: on the day of his scheduled execution, a convicted serial killer gets a psychiatric evaluation during which he claims he is a demon and further claims that before their time is over, the psychiatrist will commit three murders of his own.
We start this off seeing Dr. Alan Fischer (Mark De Alessandro) in his office. We then see him jump to his death. This event will be explained more when Dr. James Martin (Jordan Belfi) shows up to a prison in Oklahoma. He is there to see Edward Wayne Brady (Sean Patrick Flanery). He is set to be executed as the synopsis said and James is there to see if he is fit. He is met by the warden, Tom Moss (Tom Ohmer), who fills him in on the backstory and leads him to the inmate.
Dr. Fischer was the original psychiatrist assigned to do this. Edward claims that he made him kill himself so that James would be assigned to his case. He wants to make this doctor his apostle and wants to be sacrificed, as the inverse of Jesus. In order for this to happen, he needs to convince James to allow the execution to happen. Strange things happen and Edward knows more than he should. The demon claims that his name is Nefariamus, or at least the closest way to say it in English. He does concede to be called Nefarious.
James is faced with a difficult decision. He was warned that Edward is an expert manipulator. What is being said sounds insane. The warden wants Edward to be executed. He will need to make the most important decision of his life. He also tries to resist making this prophecy come true.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. What is interesting is here is that we aren’t working with the biggest cast. We also don’t need it. This could be adapted to a stage play since a majority of this is done with James and Edward talking at a table as the former makes his assessment. We do see other things like interviews of James with the political commentator Glenn Beck, playing himself. We also get guards and police officers as well.
Where I want to start then with delving deeper should be with the subject of what we’re getting here. The movie seems to me to make you decide if Edward is possessed or has split personalities. I could see either being true, but this movie to me does give a definitive answer. I do like the other explanation though since it still puts that doubt out there for the rationale brain. The warden doesn’t think he is crazy. He wants him executed. James is broken by what he hears from Edward, but that then goes back to the fact that he’s a manipulator. This part of it was well done and I’ll credit Flanery here. He is great as the villainous Nefariamus who shutters but is in control. We also see that break as he becomes Edward who didn’t kill these people. He’s terrified to be executed.
Let me then take this to the controversy I’ve been seeing and hearing regarding this movie. Edward is claiming that the devil was in line to win the war but underestimated the power and sacrifice of Jesus. It was from there that all was thought to be lost for evil. Humans though are selfish. They do what they want. That is allowing evil to once again gain power. Edward wants to be the inverse of Jesus, just for the devil. I see people claiming that this is embracing the ideology of the right and conservates. There is an issue about abortion. For me, I side with the fact that I can see the devil and demons looking at this as a feather in their cap. I’ll include here that I’m not in favor of abortions, but I also believe in the right for people to choose. I personally can’t have one so I won’t tell someone else that they can’t. Where I fall in line with these ideas in regard to the movie is that demons lie and look to create controversy, which is exactly what he is doing.
Now there is one last bit for the story that I want to explore and that is self-fulfilling prophecies. When James sits down, Edward tells him that he will become his apostle, spread his gospel with a book he’s written and will also murder three people. As these two talk, we see that there are things that fit what Edward is saying and it breaks down what James thinks. It feels like that no matter what he does to resist, he can’t stop fate. That worked for me.
Where I’ll then go is over to the rest of the acting. I like Belfi as this doctor. He comes in with a sense of control and as he talks to Edward, we see that whittled away. I thought the change in his character was good as we go. Ohmer is good as this mean warden. He means well, but he also feels bitter. Other than that, I thought the rest of the cast as fine pushing our characters to where they needed to end up. This is mostly a two person show, hence why it could work as a stage play.
All that is left this is filmmaking. This is well made. We do interesting things with camera angles so I’ll credit the cinematography. Mostly we are getting one-two shots of our leads. It also does interesting things with framing as well. This builds up the idea that there could be something supernatural happening. We don’t get a lot in the way of effects. I don’t necessarily know if we need them either. Other than that, I thought the soundtrack was fine for what was needed. There is an interesting scene with James talking to his girlfriend on the phone that raises tension as we see that Edward has knowledge that he shouldn’t have.
In conclusion, I rather enjoyed my time here. This isn’t a new concept, but I like the twist of having a possessed person here. James is faced with a difficult decision. Doing the right thing, but then letting this monster walk. If he does the other thing, that could lead to this prophecy coming true. I do like those stakes. The acting from Flanery and Belfi is great. Their back and forth carries this. I’d also say that this is well-made with the cinematography and the framing leading the way there. Not a great movie, but I enjoyed this for what was doing. I’d recommend this if what I’ve said here sounds interesting.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10