Film Comment: God Told me To

God Told Me To (1976), directed by the prolific director, Larry Cohen, was originally titled Demon, but the better known title is more representative of the film's content. A police detective (Tony LoBianco) investigates what appear to be random savage murders by seemingly mundane individuals who all give as the reason for their rampages the phrase, "God told me to."

This is Larry Cohen's most incoherent film and has the weakest ending, but it may be the best known besides The Stuff, Phonebooth, and It's Alive! Cult status was achieved for the film by the appearance of the bizarre comedian, Andy Kaufman, as one of the killers. Deborah Raffin and Sandy Dennis also appear.

The film raises an interesting question. What should be our response to persons who claim to have personally met God, or that they speak directly for God, or that they are God? What if they show evidence of possessing supernatural powers? Remember that God told Abraham to kill his son as a sacrifice. The difference between YHWH (our God) and the "god" of this film is that God never intended for Abraham to actually do it.

Genesis 22; Matthew 24:5,11; 23:25; Mark 13:6,21-23; Luke 21:8.