“Christian horror film” may sound like a bit of an oxymoron, but that is exactly what filmmakers Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon (“Unplanned,” “God’s Not Dead,” “Do You Believe”) have sought to create with their latest release, titled “Nefarious.”
“Nefarious” is a horror-thriller film that tells the fictional story of a convicted serial killer who, on the day of his scheduled execution, must be certified as mentally competent by a court-ordered psychiatrist. As the psychiatrist conducts his evaluation, he discovers that the killer is possessed by a demon, who tells him that before the day is over, the psychiatrist will have committed three murders of his own.
The killer is played by veteran actor Sean Patrick Flannery (“The Boondock Saints,” “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”). The psychiatrist, played by Jordan Belfi (“Entourage,” “Moonlight”), wars with the demon, who calls himself “Nefarious.”
Solomon described “Nefarious,” which has received a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, as a mature version of C.S. Lewis‘ “Screwtape Letters” meets “Silence of the Lambs.”
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One reviewer said, “There are not going to be very many films released this year that are going to make you think on the level of ‘Nefarious.’ It is a film that is not only entertaining, but also makes you question what side of the battle between good and evil you are truly on.”
The film received an R rating, although it does not feature any explicit language or sexual content. The film does contain two scenes of violence, but some could argue that a PG-13 rating would be more appropriate.
“The R rating is political. It’s the same thing they did with us on ‘Unplanned,’” Solomon told ChurchLeaders. “They gave us an ‘R’ because they know that Christians will not go to our movies…People have to realize that Hollywood hates Christians,” he said, and does not want Christian films “to see the light of day.”
The directors believe that the devil was behind both “Unplanned” and “Nefarious” receiving R ratings, due to the fact that an R rating is likely to deter Christians, who constitute a majority of their viewing audience.
“Nefarious” grossed $1.3 million in its opening weekend, but was only shown in 933 theaters. For comparison, Russell Crowe’s demonic horror film “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which debuted the same weekend, was shown in 3,178 theaters and grossed $9 million.
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Solomon and Konzelman shared that the film was made due to God’s perfect timing. When they were presented with the idea, they loved it, but they didn’t expect to make the movie right away. In fact, they said that they received the film’s budget before even having a completed script.
