Nefarious

As is often the case with me, my expectations were quite high :) Based on the trailer, it seemed like a decent psychological horror film, but due to its execution (casting, locations, escalation), it falls behind in the end. The concept is original and entertaining - a demon inside a death row inmate and his psychologist who must determine if he is sane enough to be executed or declare him mentally ill to avoid the electric chair. Perhaps I'm a demanding viewer, but I was expecting much more. I was disappointed with the choice of actors for the main characters, and a plot set in a single room must be gripping, or the viewer will inevitably get bored after 10 minutes. Even the ending, which was supposed to be somewhat shocking, did not impressed me at all. So, for me, it was a disappointment, but not a complete failure :) (07/06/2023)

Wow. A completely unknown, uninvited and unexpected conversation drama turned out to be a very nice piece with a very oppressive atmosphere. A young psychiatrist is summoned to a prison to decide whether a prisoner about to be executed is sane and therefore can undergo the death penalty, or whether he will be exonerated. From the beginning of the interview, however, the prisoner insists that he is not mentally disturbed, but that he is a demon who has possessed the body of his host. From this point on, we get a lot of atmospheric psychological coercion, in which, although there is only talking for 90 minutes, it's all about "how" you talk. Sean Patrick Flanery is awesome, his expressions, empathy for the role and his character are literally fantastic, I haven't seen such an iconic lead character in a long time, his facial tics, "switching" roles between the host demon and philosophical discussions about hell, demons and the mythology around him, I ate it all up, this is just more proof that even such a banal and ordinary subject can be told with a bit of skill and a great lead actor in a brisk, dark way and with a great dose of suspense. I liked the whole progression in the prison and the finale, where the execution was headed, and even if the last two minutes seem a bit unfinished, as a whole it's a fantastic conversation piece, which may not suit everyone's tastes, but will definitely excite the other part of the audience. A fresh breeze to the genre. (06/07/2023)

A decent psychological drama with a slight thriller edge (it is not horror!). I have to admit that for being a low-key and unknown venture that sailed under the radar, Nefarious certainly won't offend, especially those who like conversational films. The entire film takes place in a room where a convicted murderer sits awaiting his execution, visited by a psychiatrist who is there to assess whether or not he is ill. The killer claims to be possessed by a demon and also predicts that the psychiatrist himself will commit three murders today. It has both a 90's thriller vibe and a minor Mindhunter vibe. Sean Patrick Flanery (for me his best film is The Boondock Saints) gives a very good performance. His facial expressions, tics and dialogue are very convincing, but he speaks so fast and there is so much reasoning and philosophising that I even got a bit tired, it takes a lot of concentration and the English is also more demanding, but others may not mind. If you like stuff about serial killers, especially exploring their psychology, this might interest you. A decent little atmospheric conversational film whose greatest qualities are the actors and the script. Add some of the murders and gore and I'd be thrilled too.. :D 6/10. (06/07/2023)