A series of murders in New York City by random citizens who all confess “God told me to.” Larry Cohen takes this excellent hook and hangs on it social commentary about good and evil, conspiracy theories, our looking for evidence in a higher power and fanaticism towards religion and guns. (And that was 50 years ago.) The low-budget style brings a 70s crime thriller grit to a Sci-fi story.
The premise reminds me of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure, the highest-ranked film that I don’t personally think is a good movie. This could be my rebuttal. Both films have a very similar presence, but I never got what Cure was trying to say beneath that. Perhaps that’s because it takes a more subtle approach, which also may be why nobody has ever remade God Told Me To. It’s commentary would be seen as too on-the-nose today. It lasts because it can be called ahead of its time.
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