Good morning, House of Madness demons:
Do you believe in good vs. evil? If so, how expansive is your imagination? Do you believe in angels and demons, or do you simply believe in Heaven and Hell? If you answered yes to demons, do you believe in possession, or do these malevolent beings simply exist in our realm, causing havoc behind the scenes? Well, for Dr. James Martin (Jordan Belfi), he has to be damned sure of what he's dealing with, lest he be eternally damned along with the rest of humanity.
Edward Wayne Brady (Sean Patrick Flanery) has been convicted of several counts of murder, and the only thing standing between himself and an electric chair is the final diagnosis of whether he's mentally fit to be punished by Dr. Martin. As Dr. Martin is assessing Edward, Edward tells Dr. Martin he will commit three murders before the day is through, to which Dr. Martin obviously scoffs. However, as the two begin getting to know one another, it becomes quite evident that Edward knows a lot more about Dr. Martin than humanly possible, and sends him into a panicked frenzy. How could Edward possibly know Dr. Martin's most intimate secrets? Does he have someone working for him on the outside, or is he really the demon he claims to be, and the world is in impending danger? If Dr. Martin finds Edward fit for the chair, he will be committing murder and unleashing the demon unto the world, on the other hand, if he finds his patient unfit for execution, he will continue to torment him for the rest of his life. There is an alternative, however, where if the demon is to be believed, Dr. Martin can write the demon's story for all of humanity to read in exchange for eternal bliss; the question Dr. Martin must ask himself is simple, if the demon is telling the truth, is his life worth more to him than the lives of everyone else? Time is short, and the choices are few.
"Nefarious" is a very chatty film that relies solely on whether or not you completely buy-in to the two main character's performances, as the entire film mainly consists of the duo's dialog. Fortunately, both actor's performances are brilliant, especially that of Sean Patrick Flanery, who gives an acting lesson for the ages in his role. There may be very little action, or much of anything beyond a lot of talking, but if you invest yourself and buy into the story, you'll be glad you chose to spend your 90ish minutes here, and not somewhere else, God save your soul.
Madness Meter: 6.5/10
NB
