Christian Movie Review: Nefarious

Hello, guys! How are doing? A lovely day to relax isn't it?

Thanks for stopping by. Trust me, you're going to have an interesting read. 

In this blog post, I'm going to do what has never been done here before. That's right! A movie review. A Christian movie, to be precise. Aren't you excited?

One thing you should know about your girl, PeculiarPraise, is that I rarely watch movies. Not that I don't watch at all. I just prefer reading novels to watching movies on a ratio scale of 70:30. 

However, these days, I have been learning and earning stipends from scriptwriting. I figured watching movies to see how it's done wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.  

So, the film I present to you today is titled Nefarious. 

I know some of you are already spooked by the image and tagline. Don't worry. Though the movie is largely promoted as being a horror movie, there are hardly any horrific scenes there. Trust me, I watched it and I know. 

The cover picture is just a way of grabbing people's attention and getting the viewer's curiosity piqued. 

According to the dictionary, Nefarious is rendered as 'Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.'

That is one more word to add to your vocabulary, friend.

The 97-minute film, a Christian independent horror movie, was released on April 14, 2023, and produced by Believe Entertainment. 

I appreciate the producers of this film. They made it in such a subtle way that would draw in both believers and unbelievers. 

One interesting feature of this film that kept me hooked from start to finish was the way there were few scenes/locations. 

The main scene was in a prison cell, where the dialogue was so full of tension. 

In summary, here's the plot:

Nefarious gets off to an ominous start from the beginning. 

Its main plot takes the form of penitentiary sessions between psychiatrist, Dr. James Martin, and a serial killer prisoner named, Edward, who claims to be possessed by a demon who calls himself Nefarious. 

Despite the surface-level lunacy of Edward's claim, we find a reason to doubt how straightforward this will all go early on as it's revealed that Dr James has only been assigned the case because Edward's previous counsellor committed suicide the night before.

The demon speaks through the host and announces that before Dr James leaves, he would have committed three murders. 

Also, Nefarious says he has chosen Dr James to be the one to write his book, The Dark Gospel. 

They go on to have a lengthy back-and-forth session where sensitive issues such as euthanasia (intentionally killing people to ease their pain), abortion, atheism etc were tackled. 

It was intense. I was on the edge of my seat.

This movie got me thinking and praying most of the way through and even after. 

I don't want to give spoilers, but the ending was open-ended, sort of. 

After a TV interview where Dr James Martin recounted his bizarre encounter with this Nefarious entity, he met a homeless person raking through the trash. Out of new-found compassion, he gives this person money, only for the person to call his name as he leaves, then in the sinister voice of Nefarious, say "Miss me?"

Remember, demons don't die. That made the ending a bit eerie, a reminder that the battle continues for as long as the human race lives on. 

I also felt immense pity for Edward, the host/victim of the demon, who had a sad ending. 

Either way, this movie is packed with biblical truth from top to bottom. 

I valued this movie so much and felt led to share it. As you watch it, allow God to minister to you. 

To download the movie for free, click this link. 

I did a little bit of research and found out that this movie was culled from a story written by Steve Deace. 

Written in the style of C S Lewis' Screwtape Letters, the novel, The Nefarious Plot, was told from Nefarious' perspective. Conspiracy theory kind of stuff, only this one is true. 

About the Author

Steve Deace is a nationally-syndicated radio host heard each weekday in top markets from coast-to-coast. The national media recognize Deace as an influential voice in his home state of Iowa’s first in the nation presidential caucuses. He’s frequently quoted in the national media on political and cultural issues. Deace has also appeared on all the major cable news networks and writes for the Washington Times, USA Today, and Conservative Review. Deace lives in Iowa with his wife, Amy, and their three children, Anastasia, Zoe, and Noah.

Check out the blurb:

Your best life now. How to win friends and influence people. Chicken soup for the soul. This book is about none of those things. 

Now don’t get me wrong. This book is full of hope and optimism, from a certain point of view. I’m quite sure you’ll see things my way by the time you reach its end.

But first, forgive my manners. Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m a being of wealth and taste. I’m a bit of an expert when it comes to human nature, which I have carefully studied for many years. I may even know you better than you know yourself.

You’ll never guess my name.

We both know something has gone terribly wrong with America (the world), but you don’t know what it is. You can’t quite put your finger on it, yet you definitely sense it. All the signs are there when you watch the news – mayhem, strife, division.

Oh, wait, who am I kidding? You’re not watching the news. You’re too busy perfecting your selfie. So let’s just be honest with each other here. The truth is you don’t want to know why you’re completely and totally screwed. That’s why you probably won’t read this book (those of you who can read anyway).

And even if you do read this book it’s doubtful you’ll believe it, thus confirming my success, because I’m just that damned good at what I do.

As you might have already guessed, that's Nefarious' POV or voice, infused not only in the blurb but also throughout the entire book. 

I have started reading this book and you can join my quest too if you're interested. Grab your free copy here. 

What's more? The book even has a sequel titled, The Nefarious Carol. It's also added to my reading list. 

Just as C S Lewis said and I paraphrase, we should not be so fascinated with the supernatural or demonic that we become so obsessed that we subconsciously begin to worship; neither should we turn a blind eye to them, for we are not ignorant of the devices of the enemy. 

The funny thing was that as I researched more about the movie, I saw some rather nasty reviews by critics. 

It's sad, really because whether they realize it or not, their eyes have been blinded by the veil of the god of this world. 

I hope you won't be in that category. And I pray that those in darkness will turn to the Light before it's too late. 

As you go off to enjoy the movie, Nefarious, and draw the lessons therein for yourself, don't forget to also share this review with your friends and family. 

And who knows, maybe next time, I will be spurred to write another Christian movie review. 

If you have recommendations for me (or any questions, comments and thoughts about this review), the comment box is all yours. 

Until next time, God bless you. 

Maranatha.