The underrated 1970s sci-fi movie inspired by the horror of the bible
Many of the great sci-fi tales from across history are thematically tied to humanity’s relationship with life, death and mortality. The philosophy of David Cronenberg’s body horror flicks certainly relates to this idea of the human body being fallible, and even something like Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is inseparably tied to questions of how love and faith play key roles in the preservation of life on Earth.
More often than not, these concepts inevitably get twisted into religious concepts and texts, with some of the greatest movies of the genre taking inspiration from Bible stories. Such is present in even the most influential sci-fi tales, including Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning epic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which shares strong parallels with the coming of Jesus Christ, and Children of Men, which steals its title directly from a bible verse.
Yet, while most of these stories use these bible stories positively, other films don’t look too fondly on religion, seeing it as a source for much of the world’s horror. Such is certainly the case for the 1976 horror sci-fi flick God Told Me To, directed by the late cult filmmaker Larry Cohen, a bleak story which follows a New York detective investigating murders done by perpetrators who say “God told them to” do it.
Directly inspired by the Bible and the belief that God was one of literature’s most violent characters, as well as the barmy non-fiction book Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past, which suggests religions were started by ancient astronauts, Cohen set out to make his cult movie with a cast that included the Oscar winner Sandy Dennis and Academy Award nominee Sylvia Sidney among the unknowns.
The film plopped out in 1976 to almost no fanfare whatsoever, performing so badly upon its release that the distributors, New World Pictures, changed the name to Demon in a desperate attempt to gain more interest. It would take the film many decades to finally reach an audience, with cult cinema fans of contemporary cinema heralding it as a trashy piece of exploitation horror.
“It’s based on a true story!” Cohen cried when interviewed about the film by Village Voice, adamantly shoving the religious angle into the limelight. Continuing, he added: “No, seriously, it’s a picture about religion, and the violence people do in the name of religion — which feels really relevant today. Some of the other ideas came during the making of it”.
For lovers of niche sci-fi and cult cinema, check out the trailer for God Told Me To below; it might just be your new favourite movie.
