Nefarious
review by Bobby Blakey
Sean Patrick Flanery has been entertaining audiences for years through a wide variety of genres from Young Indiana Jones to the Boondock Saints to Powder to Born a Champion. His latest film Nefarious takes him into a new kind of role co-starring Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer, Eric Hansen, Stelio Savante, Robert Peters, and Cameron Arnett with a special cameo by Glenn Beck from directors Chuck Konzelman and Cory Solomon. Could this flick offer up something fresh to the genre or will it fail to possess the audience?
Nefarious follows a convicted serial killer possessed by a demon named ‘Nefarious.’ On the day of his scheduled execution, he gets a last-minute, court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. The killer astonishes visiting psychiatrist Dr. James Martin by insisting that instead of trying to avoid his execution, he is in fact a demon - Nefarious - who wants his execution to go forward. As a storm gathers outside the prison, Nefarious chips away at Dr. Martin’s resolve and conviction, confounding and unsettling him so much that he begins to doubt his own sanity and fears for his life. As the two face off, they deliver crackling energy and a series of disturbing preternatural revelations propelling them to an inexorable, astounding conclusion.
I knew of this film strictly from seeing Flanery really pushing it on social media which told me that he really believed in what he did. Being a fan it had me interested, but his own excitement had me really wanting to see what he did here and I can say without a doubt I believe this is one of his best performances. The film itself works and entertains, but is a slow burn that wasn’t exactly what I expected. I guess I had set up soemting in my mind that was more of a straight-forward possession flick and that isn’t this. I am glad it was something different, but my expectations had me wanting more from the overall film.
That being, said this film rides on the shoulders of Flanery all the way. It doesn’t work if you don’t believe in his performance, and he kills it in every way. From the subtle nuances to the chaotic over the top moments he oozes with substance and depth. Every moment he is speaking in this flick elevates it to something bigger than it would have been otherwise. The difference in personalities are not only a treat to watch, but also impressive and imperative for the audience to buy into to make it work.
There are some interesting twists to the story that deliver and make the film way more than it might have been otherwise. It could have ended up being pretty generic in its formula, but thanks to some clever story telling and an absolute brilliant performance from Flanery it is something more. It wasn’t the film I thought I was going to get, but something much better.
Decide for yourself and check out Nefarious available now on Blu-ray and DVD.