What the Hell—emphasis on Hell—is the M.I.O. Christian horror film Nefarious trying to tell me?
Christian horror has always been an odd outlier in cinema, from the '70s exploitation schlock of A Thief in the Night or The Late Great Planet Earth to the more modern homilies of The Omega Code and The Hangman's Curse. And, you know, that was all fine and good. Hallelujah.
But lately, all things Christian have been thoroughly torn asunder. Oklahoma-infused MAGA culture has repurposed the now-trademarked God as the one true American leader—one who’ll bring the Lee Greenwood-mandated Bible back to schools, run out all non-white, non-Christians from town, and, of course, support Ryan Walters in his dumbed-down yet beatific crusades.
The Father, the Spirit, and the real God: Donald Trump. Amen.
In that spirit of cathode religion, the recently released horror flick Nefarious dives into a grittier realm of cinematic evangelism, with all the sheen and polish of a low-rent Saw sequel. It’s a biblically-tainted once-over that’s supposed to scare the holy Hell out of your congregation.
Well, at least that’s how it’s being promoted, right?