Nefarious (2023)
75%RT Audience Score: 96%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Nefarious, the latest faith-based thriller, has received mixed reviews from critics. While some have praised the film’s production values and character-based approach, others have criticized its heavy-handed and preachy message. One critic even went so far as to call it a “Christo-fascist manifesto.” Despite its flaws, Nefarious is an interesting addition to the possession genre, and its confident filmmaking may appeal to some viewers. However, those looking for subtle scares or nuanced storytelling may want to look elsewhere. Overall, Nefarious is a film that will likely divide audiences, but it’s worth checking out for those who enjoy a good theological debate.
Nefarious is a movie that tries to be a possession thriller but ends up being a preachy Christian propaganda piece. The heavy-handed message about abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty is enough to make you want to run out of the theater screaming. The only thing missing from this Christo-fascist manifesto is a sermon on guns. The acting and production values are decent, but the ending falls apart with a clichéd climax and an injudicious epilogue. If you’re looking for cinematic horror, you won’t find it here unless you’re talking about one of those evangelical haunted houses where demons pop out of the walls to warn of the evils of the world. Overall, Nefarious is a movie that’s best left to the preachy side of things.
Production Company(ies)
Netflix, Psychological
Distributor
Soli Deo Gloria Releasing
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
2023
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 38m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 14, 2023 Wide
Genre(s)
Horror/Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
horror, mystery, thriller, demon, psychiatrist, serial killer, possession, Christian propaganda, abortion, euthanasia, death penalty, Sean Patrick Flanery, Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer, James Healy Jr., Eric Hanson, Stelio Savante, Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Chris Jones, Sheila Hart, Believe Entertainment, Soli Deo Gloria Releasing, R-rated, $1.3M box office, reviewed by Bill Goodykoontz, Cody Leach, Collin Garbarino, Josh Goller, Dennis Schwartz, Federico Furzan, Roger Moore, Jeffrey M Anderson, Richard Propes, Mike McGranaghan, Christian Toto, Bill Newcott, directed by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman, written by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman, produced by Chris Jones, Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Sheila Hart
Worldwide gross: $4,748,058
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $4,748,058
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,000,000
Production budget ranking: 1,858
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,692,500
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jordan Belfi – Dr. James Martin
Tom Ohmer – Warden Moss
James Healy Jr. – Gate Guard
Eric Hanson – Assistant Warden Anderson
Stelio Savante – Detective Russo
Director – Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman
Producers – Chris Jones, Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Sheila Hart
Writers – Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman
Production Company – Believe Entertainment
Distributor – Soli Deo Gloria Releasing
Director(s)
Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman
Writer(s)
Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman
Producer(s)
Chris Jones, Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Sheila Hart
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (13) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (9)
Subtlety is not the film’s strong point. Neither is casting.
April 13, 2023 | Rating: 2/5
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Nefarious advertises itself as a possession thriller but pulls a bait & switch to deliver a Christian and Conservative propaganda piece. Flanery does his best to elevate what is otherwise a 90 minute sermon on abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty.
April 22, 2023 | Rating: 1.5/5
Cody Leach
Cody Leach (YouTube)
On the whole, the script, the cinematography, and the acting are all well done—but the ending falls apart with a clichéd climax to the action and an injudicious epilogue.
April 21, 2023 | Rating: 3/5
Collin Garbarino
WORLD
If you like your demons on the preachy side, then you may enjoy [this movie]. The rest of us will find [it]…tedious, heavy-handed and indoctrinating.
April 20, 2023 | Rating: 1.25/5
Josh Goller
Spectrum Culture
The film’s heavy-handed and bogus message tells us that Hollywood is immoral because it acts to corrupt its viewer’s minds.
April 18, 2023 | Rating: D
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Aside from a few questionable decisions, Nefarious is interesting enough to give it a watch. Just leave prejudice behind and enjoy the possession take they’re going for.
April 17, 2023 | Rating: 2.8/5
Federico Furzan
Movie-Blogger.com
The only thing not covered in this Christo-fascist manifesto of a movie is “guns.”
April 16, 2023 | Rating: 1/4
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
Well-acted and with decent production values, this faith-based thriller unfortunately gets stuck in its two-person back-and-forth sermoning, making it all too obvious what the outcome will be.
April 15, 2023 | Rating: 2/5
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Common Sense Media
While there are moments of intensity in Nefarious, there isn’t a moment in the film that feels like cinematic horror unless you’re talking about one of those evangelical haunted houses where demons pop out of the walls to warn of the evils of the world.
April 15, 2023 | Rating: 1.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Nefarious builds to a howler of a climax that delivers exactly what you’d anticipate from the makers of God’s Not Dead, just in an even more preposterous way. The big scene would be perfect for an Airplane!-style spoof of evangelical-themed films.
April 14, 2023 | Rating: 0.5/4
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat
Character-based thriller uses spare setting for big-time chills sans gore.
April 14, 2023 | Rating: 3/4
Christian Toto
HollywoodInToto.com
Nefarious may not be great filmmaking, but it is confident filmmaking, and sometimes that can get you exactly where you want to go.
April 13, 2023 | Rating: 3/5
Bill Newcott
The Saturday Evening Post…
Plot
On the day of his execution, a convicted serial killer claims he is a demon and predicts that his psychiatrist will commit three murders of his own in the horror/thriller movie Nefarious.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
One critic says that Sean Patrick Flanery does his best to elevate the film, despite it being a “90 minute sermon on abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty.”
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