ASHTABULA — What begins with a mysterious fatal car crash takes a troubled man down a rabbit hole of UFOs, supernatural phenomena, theology and questions about his own sanity in “Heavenly Wickedness,” a psychological science-fiction thriller directed by Ashtabula native Daniel Carberry.
The film follows David (Joey Bicicchi), an intellectually gifted, but troubled man who becomes obsessed with investigating the death of his best friend.
As his investigation progresses, the boundaries between psychological trauma, supernatural forces and extraterrestrial phenomena become increasingly difficult to distinguish.
David is an unreliable narrator, and Carberry deliberately keeps the audience guessing. It isn’t until the film’s twist ending that viewers are left to decide whether David has succumbed to delusion, or whether he really was abducted by aliens.
The film’s title comes from Ephesians 6:12, which speaks of wrestling against “spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The passage provides a thematic foundation for a story that combines cosmic dread and human trauma with UFO lore and ancient-alien theories.
For Carberry, however, “Heavenly Wickedness” is also very much a story about home.
The film was shot in Ashtabula over three seasons beginning in autumn 2023. Carberry joked that filming in his hometown made it easier to get away with some of the things he wanted — or needed — to do to make the story happen.
The result is a film filled with recognizable Ashtabula landmarks, including the Harbor lift bridge, Walnut Beach and the former UFO gas station at the Five Points intersection. At one point, David even wears an old Harbor High Mariners T-shirt.
Carberry describes the project in part as a “love letter” to his hometown.
That local connection is set against a story dealing with considerably darker subjects, including substance use and recovery, mental illness and the breakdown of relationships. Those themes provide much of the film’s emotional foundation, while the UFO and theological elements supply its mystery.
Carberry said he decided to write and shoot “Heavenly Wickedness” in 2020 after spending 15 years shooting short films and music videos in Los Angeles.
The film’s biblical references are unusually substantial for a science-fiction thriller, but they are woven into the story rather than presented as exposition. Viewers familiar with Scripture and theology may find additional layers of foreshadowing and meaning, while those less familiar with the material can follow the story without needing to understand every reference.
The film’s tight pacing also helps balance its disparate elements. The story moves steadily without feeling rushed, while the chemistry among the actors gives the characters’ relationships enough weight to make their conflicts and eventual resolutions matter.
Heavenly Wickedness remains unfinished, with Carberry raising funds to complete and distribute the film.
The first screening of the mostly finished movie was held Saturday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. at J-PAL Cinemas. A question-and-answer session with Carberry followed at 8 p.m. at the Riverbend Hotel.
More information about the film and its development is available at heavenlywickedness.com.
