Steve Deace's New Thriller Film Will Terrify Hollywood the Most
An oft-repeated phrase from the late Andrew Breitbart, “Politics is downstream of culture,” has inspired a new movement within the American right. And that movement is gaining steam.
In the face of Hollywood’s increased politicization — and, along with it, decreased quality — companies like The Daily Wire, Breitbart, Angel Studios and others have attempted to fill the gap by competing in the movie industry.
Some of these efforts have proved massively successful, with conservatives producing cinematic experiences far better than today’s average Hollywood films. Others, sadly, have made it painfully obvious that not all conservatives are cut out to produce content at the level of quality modern audiences are accustomed to.
But which camp does Steve Deace’s new film, “Nefarious,” fall into?
This writer (a former entertainment news journalist who has covered the industry for years) is excited to share that “Nefarious” is perhaps the best film yet produced in the current movement of countercultural entertainment.
The film, a horror/mystery thriller, follows psychiatrist Dr. James Martin, played by Jordan Belfi, as he attempts to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of a serial killer, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, only hours before the latter’s scheduled execution.
Shortly before the interview begins, Martin is warned that the killer, Edward Wayne Brady, is a “master manipulator.”
“He’ll have your head so twisted around you’ll think you’re the killer,” the prison warden warns him early in the film.
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When the two finally sit down to talk, Flanery’s character introduces himself not as Brady, but rather as a demonic entity named Nefarious.
What follows is excellent dialogue, acting, storytelling and an all-around first-class cinematic experience that holds up a mirror to the evils of our modern-day society, a society that Nefarious is quite proud of having helped create.
Deace himself describes the film as a mix between “The Exorcist” and C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters.” And there is perhaps no better description, except perhaps those two works with a dash of the famous interrogation scene from “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Nefarious Official Trailer (2023) – In Theaters April 14th#nefariousmovie @seanflanery @JordanCBelfi pic.twitter.com/yzo2W7iHCG
— Nefarious Movie (@NefariousMovie_) March 9, 2023
In this writer’s opinion, low-budget Christian and/or conservative countercultural films, when they fail, often lag in three specific categories: acting, dialogue and cinematography.
“Nefarious” excels in all three.
The movie’s dialogue, most notably the lines spoken by Flanery’s character, is top-notch, perhaps the best of any horror film in recent memory.
Flanery’s performance as Nefarious is equal parts intricate and compelling. It’s not hyperbole to say that, in a fairer world, Flannery would be up for an Academy Award for this performance. As the film’s lead, Belfi’s straight everyman is the perfect counterbalance to Flannery’s performance.
Last, but certainly not least, the film’s cinematography is beautifully creative and purposefully off-putting in a way that complements the story’s creepy, and at times terrifying, plot.
For conservatives, Christians and any other non-woke-lunatics hoping to create competitive, quality entertainment, it would be wise to take notes from “Nefarious.”
