Tag Archives: Nefarious

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Daily Broadside | Another Faith-Inspired Movie is About to Hit Theaters

Taking a break from the madness in our world, today’s post promotes an original new movie from Angel Studios, which brought us Sound of Freedom (which I reviewed back in July). Like when I also promoted Nefarious earlier this year, I haven’t seen this movie yet. Unlike when I promoted Nefarious, this new movie isn’t being touted by two Christian writers I admire. But I’m intrigued by the concept and the Christian theme it’s alleged to have.

“The Shift” follows Kevin (played by Kristoffer Polaha), a man with a struggling marriage who is thrown into the multiverse when he refuses to be the minion of a malevolent man called The Benefactor (Neal McDonough) who has the power to “shift” people to different universes. Now, Kevin has to find a way to survive in the hellish world he finds himself in and the way back to the woman he loves (Elizabeth Tabish).

The film has all the elements of every great sci-fi adventure: a great concept, a great core relationship and a great antagonist. In “The Shift,” the genius central sci-fi concept is that this other dimension is real and a place where, in effect, everyone’s interpretation of their experiences is correct since every difference in perspective or memory is the result of the multiverse.

This is a fascinating twist on the multiverse as it makes this place a metaphor for misunderstanding and potential reconciliation. The central relationship is the love story between Kevin and his wife Molly. The film does an extraordinary job making you fall in love with their relationship. Kevin and Molly feel like a real couple. In fact, the opening scene between the two is some of the best writing I’ve seen in a faith-based industry film.

The villain — known as The Benefactor — is both terrifying as he’s essentially a traditional (and implied literal) “devil” character. The horrifying power to shift people in and out of the multiverse is coupled with a dogged commitment to never giving Kevin a moment’s peace until he works for him. McDonough’s performance has all the archetypal villainy you would want from this role.

It sounds like a winning concept. The devil tempts his victim, Kevin, to get what he wants—his wife—by agreeing to work for him.

The reviewer I’m quoting is Joseph Holmes over at Religion Unplugged. (TBH had never heard of the site until I did some research on this film.) Holmes cautions us that while the movie is good, it doesn’t resolve the questions it raises very well.

Instead of exploring the multiverse and the themes of reconciling misunderstanding or different worldviews, we get stuck in one stock dystopian world for the majority of the film with stock non-believers tossing him stock “where is God when you suffer” questions. Instead of spending the film exploring Kevin and Molly’s relationship, they spend the whole movie apart.  

And this:

You may say that’s the point. We are supposed to believe God is good even when life doesn’t look like that, even if we never understand like in The Book of Job, the story that this movie is loosely based on. And yet, even The Book of Job resolves its tension. Instead, “The Shift” doesn’t give us a similar revelation of God’s power and goodness. As a result, conflict remains unresolved. 

That’s disappointing, I suppose. Having not seen the movie yet, I can neither confirm nor deny his assessment. As an “award-nominated filmmaker and culture critic” he has more credibility than I do, so I suggest we all adjust our expectations accordingly.

My main point in calling attention to this film is that there have been some pretty good efforts being made by Christian filmakers over the last decade or more, and I want to encourage them to keep trying. The only way that happens is if Christians and like-minded citizens support their work. I’m not so much interested in showing up Hollywood like Sound of Freedom did (although I’m not adverse to that happening) as much as I am rallying believers to at least give Christian outfits like Angle Studios a fighting chance.

Besides, Disney has gone woke and many of the other movies being offered to the public are so much mindless garbage. Yes, you can find an occasional movie that’s well done (Oppenheimer comes to mind, despite its flaws), but the majority seem to be mental cotton candy.

I’ll go see The Shift and let you know what I think in a future post.

The Shift opens on December 1, a week after Thanksgiving. The film is rated PG-13 with a runtime of 1 hour 55 minutes. Watch the trailer, block out some time, then go see it.

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Daily Broadside | The Movie “Nefarious” Lives Up To Its Billing

Almost two weeks ago I recommended a movie I hadn’t seen yet based on the recommendations of two men whose opinions I respect — John Zmirak and Eric Metaxas. The movie was Nefarious, and I saw it in the theater last night with my daughter.

Going into it my expectations were set by Zmirak’s review, which praised the “powerful performances, skillful camera work, intuitive direction … and a script that’s simply brilliant.” Except for one or two moments during the film, that description was accurate.

The setting — a maximum security prison — is spare, but it works because this isn’t an action movie. The film is driven completely by dialogue that is at once believable and tautly delivered. The story relies on the verbal dueling between the main characters rather than car chases, over-the-top jump scares or gory violence to keep you riveted to the screen. (There are a couple of disturbing scenes, but don’t let the “R” rating dissuade you from seeing it; I think that rating was a political decision, because I’ve seen worse in PG-13 movies.)

Sean Patrick Flanery delivers a powerful performance as Edward, the prison inmate scheduled to be executed at 11:00 PM that evening. His character has to transition between the man himself and the entity that now “owns” him, which Flanery does with subtle — and sometimes chilling — effect.

Jordan Belfi plays Dr. James Martin, a court-ordered psychiatrist called to evaluate whether Edward is mentally fit to be executed. He’s a smart, worldly, mid-thirties atheist who is confident in his ability to see through whatever mind games Edward is playing, but whose self-confidence slowly evaporates over the course of the film.

The story confronts the viewer with a question: are demons behind the destruction that we see in the world, or is it all simply a natural order operating without any unseen interference? The film, of course, implies that there is evil at work in our world — and not just “evil,” but a personal evil. It also suggests that cultural or political issues we face in our society — like abortion or mass murders — are driven by evil spiritual forces.

Christians will agree theologically with the movie’s premise, based on the biblical declaration that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). They may, however, wonder if the depiction of a demonic presence as expressed through Edward is something that comports with reality. I’ve never encountered anything quite like it, but I’m not willing to say it doesn’t happen. On the other hand, atheists and agnostics may not be convinced by the portrayal of evil in the film, but it may give them pause to reconsider.

The only real complaint I have (besides the dialogue briefly getting preachy at a couple of points), is what amounts to an unnecessary epilogue. “One year later,” we’re told, Dr. James Martin appears on conservative Glenn Beck’s Blaze TV show to promote his new book (the real life book A Nefarious Plot by New York Times bestselling author Steve Deace, also a host on Blaze TV). Beck’s cameo is the only moment that felt disjointed in the movie, although the fake book promotion does flow from the story’s narrative arc.

Beck is a controversial and polarizing figure, even among conservatives. Did the directors think he appeals to Christians in particular? What about non-believers who watch the movie — would Beck’s appearance ruin the movie for them? It actually disrupted the movie for me because the story did what good stories do: draw you in while suspending your disbelief. The appearance of Beck broke that suspension because I was suddenly thrust back into “reality.”

Apart from that moment, I would encourage you to go see it if you haven’t. It’s a well done psychological thriller with a mature take on spiritual warfare. It will challenge your understanding of spiritual influence and, if you let it, be a great conversation starter among your believing or undecided friends.

You can go here to find times and locations where it’s still showing.

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Daily Broadside | You Should Probably See A Movie Before You Recommend It, But …

Short post today to recommend a film that I’ve not seen but at least two writers I respect have — and both enthusiastically recommend it. It’s made for Christian audiences, but avoids the pitfalls that most movies aimed at that audience stumble into: low production value, terribly moralistic and sappy messaging, idealized relationships, and avoiding the depiction of realistic evil.

I’m gobsmacked and thrilled to report that a movie of this quality is opening this weekend, Nefarious, based on the novel by conservative TV commentator and author Steve Deace of The Blaze. I heard about it from Eric Metaxas, who’d seen the preview screener and highly recommended it. I sat with a friend to watch it, and we were riveted. Imagine the insights of The Screwtape Letters conveyed with all the intensity of top-notch courtroom drama like To Kill a Mockingbird. Or the “Grand Inquisitor” scene from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, set on death row in a U.S. “red state.”

I don’t want to give away too much, and drain the film of its power to surprise, unsettle, and challenge. Suffice it to say that it’s an, intense, occasionally violent psychological thriller of a similar genre to The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The story is simple: a smug secular psychologist goes to evaluate a serial killer on the verge of execution … to see if he’s lucid enough to undergo capital punishment (as our law requires). But the killer insists he’s possessed by a demon. Is that proof he’s really insane?

The film confronts genuine evil — not confusion, bad ideas, mere human weakness, or even the sordid fact of Original Sin.

No, Nefarious brings us face to face with principalities and powers, the bloodless calculating entities who cast their shadows today in the abortion industry, the transgender movement, and the intolerant new gospel of the Antichrist we refer to as the Woke cult. We hear the subarctic voice of deathless spirits who whisper in our ears, who teach us to love the sin but hate the sinner, who manage our culture and politics and arrange for the State to groom our children.

I will make the disclaimer that John Zmirak makes: not every Christian will be comfortable seeing this movie. If you’re easily disturbed by intense situations and the portrayal of stone-cold evil, this may not be the film for you. As I said, I’m recommending it based the strong recommendation of Zmirak and Eric Metaxas, not on having seen it myself (yet).

The reason I bring it to your attention is that it opens in theaters today and a movie’s staying power is often determined by how well it performs at the box office. As this is its opening weekend, I’m encouraging you to help make it a strong one.

Whatever you choose to do, have a good weekend. I’ll be back Monday.