I actually laughed at first. I thought he was joking. But Evan doesn’t joke like that, especially not when it comes to assignments.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I want your real reaction,” he said. “Not something shaped by what everyone else is saying.”

That part made sense. It’s actually something we talk about a lot. Too many people consume opinions before they ever experience something for themselves. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to encounter anything fresh.

Still… this felt different.

“Why this movie?” I pushed.

Another pause.

“It’s Easter season,” he said. “Just trust me.”

That didn’t exactly calm me down.

If anything, it made it worse.

Now I had two problems. One, I was being asked to watch a movie I would normally avoid at all costs. Two, I wasn’t allowed to prepare myself for it in any way.

No context. No warning. No idea what I was walking into.

And somehow, that was the point.

Over the next day or so, I caught myself thinking about it more than I expected. Not the movie itself; I still knew nothing about it. but the assignment. The intention behind it.

Why would Evan, of all people, push this?

We’re both Christians. We’ve had enough conversations about discernment, about what we allow into our minds, about being careful with what we consume. He knows where I stand on that.

So this wasn’t random.

Which means… it’s deliberate.

I finally gave in and decided to at least figure out where I could even watch it. That felt safe enough. Logistics, not content.

Turns out, it’s not exactly sitting on every mainstream platform front and center. Which somehow adds to the mystery. It’s there; but you have to go looking for it. The kind of film that doesn’t just fall into your lap while scrolling.

That made me pause again.

Because now it felt even more intentional. Like this wasn’t just “watch a movie.” It was “go find it.”

And I haven’t yet. At least not fully.

Part of me is still hesitating. Not because I’m scared of being startled or sitting through something intense, but because I don’t know what I’m about to walk into, and I don’t like that feeling.

But another part of me knows exactly why I’m being pushed here. And I have a feeling it’s not about the movie itself. It’s about what it’s going to make me think about.

So here’s where I’m at.

I haven’t watched Nefarious yet. I haven’t read a single review. I haven’t asked anyone who’s seen it. I’ve followed the rules.

But I will.

And when I do, I’m going in completely blind.

No expectations. No filter. Just whatever happens when the lights go down and the screen comes on.

If this is a setup; and I’m starting to think it is, then Part Two is going to be interesting. We’ll see if Evan knows something I don’t.

Or if he just sent me into something I’m going to regret.