God Told Me To
A New York detective pursuing seemingly motiveless killers discovers a disturbing supernatural pattern tied to faith, identity, and cosmic terror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- eerie
- paranoid
- late night horror viewing
- cult movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally recognize the film as an inventive, eerie genre hybrid whose ambitious religious science-fiction ideas outweigh its uneven execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Peter Nicholas begins by examining apparently unrelated murders and follows their shared religious explanation toward a supernatural mystery.
New York residents commit calm, motiveless killings in recognizable locations including a water tower and a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The recurring phrase “God told me to” and the Christ-like Bernard Phillips connect the murders to unsettling supernatural questions.
The film’s grounded detective framework increasingly gives way to strange evidence surrounding Bernard Phillips and Peter’s personal fate.
Films like God Told Me To, and why
The Exorcist
urban supernatural investigation, religious unease, and paranoid crime-thriller atmosphere
The Night Stalker
contemporary city horror blending detective work, occult mystery, and escalating dread
The Man Who Fell to Earth
1970s paranoid genre filmmaking combining police investigation with high-concept science fiction
The Omen
mysterious supernatural influence, disturbing violence, and existential horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Larry Cohen
- Release Date
- 1976-10-22
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (162)
Cast
- Tony Lo Bianco
- Deborah Raffin
- Sandy Dennis
- Sylvia Sidney
- Sam Levene
- Robert Drivas
- Mike Kellin
- Richard Lynch
- Sammy Williams
- Jo Flores Chase
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Night Flight Plus, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is God Told Me To about?
- A New York detective pursuing seemingly motiveless killers discovers a disturbing supernatural pattern tied to faith, identity, and cosmic terror.
- What is God Told Me To like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of God Told Me To as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is God Told Me To violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in God Told Me To as graphic.
- What did critics think of God Told Me To?
- Critics generally recognize the film as an inventive, eerie genre hybrid whose ambitious religious science-fiction ideas outweigh its uneven execution.
- Which films are like God Told Me To?
- Films with a similar feel include The Exorcist, The Night Stalker, The Man Who Fell to Earth, and The Omen.
- How long is God Told Me To?
- God Told Me To runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch God Told Me To?
- In United States, God Told Me To streams on Amazon Prime Video, Night Flight Plus, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Artiflix.
