Does it live up to the hype?
Written and Directed by: Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon
Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer
This film had a lot of activity online, and I saw it mentioned several times on Twitter specifically. The premise seemed intriguing, and the teaser that was released on Twitter really struck a chord with the conservative audience. Audiences were interviewed to give their reactions, and it seemed that they really loved it and thought everyone should check out Nefarious as soon as possible.
I knew going in that I wasn’t about to see the next The Exorcist, but I did have high hopes for the film and wanted to see its success. I didn’t see many theaters near me that were showing this during the release, but I finally got a chance to check this film out.
I went in with high expectations and an open mind. So, I was ready for anything.
I’m a fan of horror and thriller-type films, but I’ve seen and reviewed some really lousy movies, like The Open House. With that said, I didn’t know what to expect given this film’s R-rating.
But, here’s the story.
Edward Wayne (Flanery) is a convicted murderer on death row and is just hours away from execution. Prior to the execution, he must receive a psych evaluation to rule out insanity. Wayne has been telling everyone he can that he is possessed by a demon called “Nefarious.”
Wading through protesters and supporters of the execution, psychologist Dr. James Martin (Belfi) enters the facility under the ominous weight of the day. Layer-by-layer Dr. Martin dives deeper into the facility and has a chance to speak with the warden who warns him about Wayne.
Wayne, or “Nefarious” rather, is a master manipulator. The prison warden warns Dr. Martin several times that Wayne cannot be trusted and to be cautious in believing anything he says. As the Doctor meets Wayne, he is confronted with this warning immediately.
Wayne tells Dr. Martin that although he is a convicted killer, it is Dr. Martin that will murder three people by the end of the night. The film dives deeper into helping the audience understand who or what “Nefarious” is, along with how, and why it has possessed Wayne.
As things unfold, we learn that Wayne works in opposition to Nefarious’ plans and actions, and the possession has led him to do terrible things. We learn more about Nefarious’ plans and the accomplishments demons have had on the human race over time.
In the end, it’s up to Dr. Martin to declare Wayne sane or not, and the execution balances on his decision. Will Nefarious be convincing enough to be released as insane or will the doctor seal the fate and sentence the manipulator to justice?
This film felt very reminiscent of the 1996 film Primal Fear. This a’int it. If you ordered Primal Fear from the Wish app, this is what you’d get. Nefarious is a shoddy copy of the thing you actually ordered.
The acting performances are overall weak, and I’d say the only saving grace of the film is the mostly convincing acting from Flanery. I’m a fan of Flanery, but at times the acting was a little much. That said, Flanery is the only talent that would ever bring a moviegoer to watch this film.
Acting opposite Flanery is a challenge, but everyone else seems to fall flat regardless of being in a scene with Flanery or not. The film premise is intriguing but not intriguing enough to be really interesting. Despite its R-rating, Nefarious is very tame for a movie portrayed as a horror/thriller.
In the end, I found it to be a “horror” that would only scare the God-fearing religious kind. With similarities akin to films like Fireproof and Courageous which shows viewers how religion can not only help you overcome personal hardships but also help you to be a better person.
Nefarious lacks this, and this might be a reason it will fail to redeem itself to audiences. Overall I found the name of the film to be more intriguing than the final product. It really fell flat for me. Perhaps I’m being too hard, so check it out for yourself and prove me wrong.
