Intro – Christian movies have an awful reputation.
Let’s face it, Christian movies have a reputation for being awful, there’s no way around it. Secular and non-secular people alike have been poking fun at us because we suck at making good movies. There’s been a massive misunderstanding within Christian media as to what art and film are, and we as Christian filmmakers and artists need to redefine what ‘Christian art’ even means. I’m going to be blunt with you today, so please don’t mistake it for rudeness or trying to put people down. I’ve gotten a few comments about my frankness in a previous video, so I want to make it clear that I am not criticizing my own brothers and sisters in Christ for the fun of it; it’s embarrassing for me to acknowledge that we are made fun of and have such a bad reputation in the film space. It has to be done and we can’t have people trampling on the name of the God we serve, not even if it’s uncomfortable to stand up for our values. Now, let’s get real for a second: the whole point of this video is to understand why Christian movies have such a bad reputation and what we as Christian filmmakers, artists and audiences can do about it. Because I’m sure you’re wondering if you’re a Christian artist, “Why are we so bad?” or “What about us is so bad and what can we do about it?” Maybe you have an idea already, but the point of this video is that I’ve done all the work for you, and I will articulate the issue as best I can with an emphasis on the solution. There’s no point in this discussion if we’re unwilling to work toward a solution, so keep that in mind. I will say some things in this essay that may challenge your current understanding of filmmaking, art, and culture. So, be prepared to ask some tough questions and face some hard truths. So, without any further delay, let’s dive into one of the most nuanced issues concerning filmmaking and Christianity.
I’ve compiled a list of movies I think have some good biblical themes, and we will be ranking them later in the video based on the criteria we will be discussing in a moment. The list I’ve made here today is by no means comprehensive, but this video isn’t simply about ranking movies; it’s about gaining an understanding of why mainstream Christian movies are stereotypically known as cinematic Sunday sermons. You might say, “But I thought The Chosen was a good show”, but here’s the thing, I do not count most Hallmark films and shows made by PureFlix as good because the majority of secular people–and even some Christians–point to those very films to demonstrate why we are so bad at making good movies. Now, I’m not going to make bold statements like these without proof, so rest assured I have taken the time to include some examples in this video. I’ve put hours into formulating this as a case study so we can understand why they do or do not work, and how we can implement amazing story-building techniques in our own writing, or even as an audience so we know what to look for in a movie.
We serve the master storyteller, and we’re not doing a good job of representing him by making films that give us a bad reputation; I’ll expand on this point as we continue.
To fully understand this topic, I’ve narrowed down three questions we’ll explore today. So, keep these in mind as we delve into this discussion.
- Why do mainstream Christian movies have a bad reputation?
- What can we do to improve movies as a whole?
- What elements or themes must a film include to be considered ‘Christian’?
As we review the movies in this video, I invite you to ask these questions with me–especially the last question–and think critically about this issue. We might disagree on several points because I’ll be throwing several curve balls. In the following section, we’ll dive into the core of this essay, unpacking the central arguments and examples that provide the foundation for our discussion. If you want to go straight to the final ranking of the movies, you can go to the timestamp on the screen. By the way, all the resources I mention in this video are linked in the description below. So, if you want to fact-check what I say here, I’ve already done the work for you.
Preface – establishing film as an art form
Before we continue, I would like to take some time to establish film as an art form.
Film is not just writing on paper; it utilizes some of the most powerful storytelling tools we have at our disposal. Cinematography, sound, light, composition (Japanese frames), ratios, colours (John Wick 4 tree), and so much more all come together to create a cohesive story. Now, I’m not saying books or music are bad; I am both a musician and a bookworm. However, film is a medium of storytelling that is not limited to the degree that other forms of storytelling are. A film takes words on paper and transforms them into an auditory and visual feast that engages us in a way words on paper never could.
“Paul Jarvis wrote an article for ink magazine that gives us some insight and I quote, ‘the neurons that fire when we’re listening to a story are the same ones that add fire if you were actually doing what’s happening in the story it’s why you’re scared during a scary movie even though you know it’s not real.’ So when you tell a story that connects emotionally with your audience, they feel as if they themselves are in that situation. You could say that they are learning by doing.”
Film takes imagined stories and makes them real1. Think of how incredible that is. You can write words in a document and, provided you have the skill, have them transformed into something truly transformative. What makes this form of storytelling so unique is that it combines auditory and visual language and creates an altogether new and exciting way to tell stories, and I think Jason Silva said some good things in this regard.
The Wonder of Cinema2 1:15-1:45
“The close-up reflects tension, the flashback represents memory, foreshadowing represents thinking of the future – so it’s interesting. And also in film you have cuts between scenes – how come that doesn’t give us a seizure? How come we can stitch together narratives even when you’re cutting between different places and moments? Because that’s how we are – we’re doing that. Persistence of vision is a human thing. That’s how we stitch together reality.
The reason movies are one of the most engaging ways to tell stories is that all these things reflect the ways that our mind works and how we think. The close-up reflects the emotional tension, the darkness and shadow of lighting can reflect fear and the unknown. The whole experience of watching a movie is transformative because when you’re watching a movie, you’re placing yourself in the shoes of the character, you think what the character thinks, and you do what the character does even though you are sitting in the theatre or on your living room couch. When we are watching a film, we are engaging with one of the most powerful tools of communication that has ever existed, for good or evil.
Why Christian Films Are Bad 0:54-1:56
“The aesthetic and intellectual power of Cinema, to me seemed like the most powerful medium in the world like there was nothing that existed that was better at conveying the human experience. Particularly the interior human experience for the point of view of a character, from the point of view of a person, the inner subjective life world of the other, as cinema.
It was just simply the greatest communication technology that had ever been made you know you could talk, you could sing, you could paint, cinema, combined all of these and put you inside of someone else’s world.
And so as an engine of empathy, as a way of stepping outside yourself, as a way of witnessing someone else’s life. I just, I was always moved by Cinema.” It’s more than just pointing a camera at an actor.
It’s a director with an idea who expresses it via Cinematographers who use the placement lenses and settings of the camera in creative, complex ways to tell the story visually. Actors being truthful under imaginary circumstances and editors arranging individual clips and sequences into a grand story. All of that and so much more is what makes film, film.”
We can’t afford to neglect and do away with film altogether. Over 70% of the Bible is story. This one paper by Barry McWilliams quantifies narrative–that is, stories, history, and parables–at 40%. An article by Megan Briggs on the genres in Scripture says narrative comprises 43% of the Bible and poetry 33%. This equates to a total of 76% of the Bible being comprised of stories and artistic language3. A video done by Bible Project explains similar numbers. Another compelling argument for the use of storytelling and filmmaking is that Jesus himself taught almost exclusively through stories and illustrations. As a matter of fact, the Bible even spells it out for us: “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.” Matthew 13:34.
If we think to all the stories and histories in the Bible, the Garden of Eden, Esther, Job, David and Goliath, Jonah being swallowed by a Whale, Gideon and the 300, the Apostle Paul and his ministries in Asia which included adventures such as a shipwreck and being bitten by a deadly serpent, and of course, Jesus and his ministry and work.
On top of that, we also have the beautiful poetry of the Psalms which include colourful phrases and outpourings of the soul. All of these historical stories and illustrations show us in detail God’s plan throughout history and the lessons he wants us to learn. When I’m going through the Psalms of David or reading through the written history as written in Ruth, Esther, or the other books of the Bible, I can’t help but pay attention.
The interesting thing is that science mirrors what we find in the Bible. Storytelling isn’t a fanciful idea…it can be and has been used to impact millions because of its powerful effect on those who listen and engage with the storyteller. Listen to what this one speaker has to say about the science behind storytelling.
Karen Eber: How your brain responds to stories — and why they’re crucial for leaders | TED
Timestamp 3:28-5:06
Science backs up what we already know to be true in scripture. If the Creator of the universe is using stories to convey his truth, and science says they are literally changing our brain chemistry, what would dissuade us from using this powerful tool? Now, a few people in the comment section disagreed with how this tool should be used, and I’ll be addressing that at the end of the video.
The issue is that, if we as the Church aren’t stewarding a certain area or tool, someone else will take over. Case in point, Hollywood has superseded much of what used to be a traditionally-valued and morally sound storytelling community. Most mainstream movies from Hollywood contain some measure of LGBTQ or sexual content. It’s not uncommon to have gay characters or explicit sex scenes throughout a movie. A movie that comes to mind is American Pie. It explicitly follows the main character as he is desperate for some sort of sexual interaction. Think of it this way–who do you want to be influencing the youth of this and future generations? If this is the sort of movie that the youth are watching, full of sexual innuendo, sleeping around, hooking up, and casual sex…what do you think they are going to think is ok? I’m going to say something that will make you a bit uncomfortable. Christians have normalized pornography and graphic sexual content in films. Okay, let’s take a step back. Why would I say such a polarizing statement? You’re probably thinking, “This guy is crazy, we are obviously against pornography.” To which I would say, yes and no. This is a huge topic, but it comes down to this: If we the Church aren’t actively setting the standard, someone else will. The reason casual sex has become normalized in culture and movies–which are the focus of this video–is that we have given up the moral ground in movies. I’m not pulling this from thin air, so here’s an example. It’s not uncommon to find straight-up pornography in films. Game of Thrones, Passenger, Love Death & Robots, are just a few well-known examples. Why do you think this is becoming more common? Because the moral standards by which stories and actions are judged have become blurred or distorted. If Christians aren’t making films or working in movies that are based on and actively defending God’s moral standards, then we’re opening the doors for the enemy to come in and replace the standard. Why do you think woke movies and LGBTQ content have become so prevalent? It’s because the Church has become complacent. I’ll expand on that in a moment, so bear with me. But before we continue, if you’re enjoying this discussion, please make sure to subscribe for more content and check out my channel membership by clicking the “join” button below the title of this video.
Where did we go wrong?
So, where did we go wrong? To understand why Christian movies are largely seen as corny, preachy, and bad, we have to understand the presupposing ideas behind the films and those who are writing them.
A presupposition is an unstated premise that is assumed to be true. It’s like a subconscious idea that is assumed to be true. An example would be, believing that all people named Karen are bad people. In my daily interactions, I would make decisions that reflect this subconscious belief. I’ve assumed that all people named Karen are automatically going to shout at me and ask for the manager. If I have the presupposition that all people named Karen are going to berate me and try to control me, then I’m going to act under that assumption or belief. It’s a silly example, but as we get deeper into this it will become more clear as to why this concept is important.
The presuppositions that we have as a Church drastically impact how the movies that we create will look like. God’s Not Dead is an unfortunate example of this.
God’s Not Dead is such a good bad example of what this looks like. In an effort to differentiate Christians from everyone else, the writers ended up making all Christians look like fools and all secular men seem like arrogant idiots. If my presupposition is that they are narcissistic, annoying crackpots who don’t give a hoot about anybody other than themselves, then I will treat all non-Christian people as such. It won’t matter if they are kind or not, I’ve already made an assumption that I’m actively acting on in my daily interactions. The main presupposing ideas in Christian films are that all Christians are persecuted and secular people are the broken ones. Not to mention that Christians are sinful too and have their own issues. Secular people can also be very kind people, not to say that they have the correct worldview, but that doesn’t negate good characteristics since we are all made in the image of God. Another issue is that instead of facing problems head-on, they just sprinkle a bit of Jesus on top and boom, problem solved. We don’t actually have to work through the problems and think critically about them, just throw a bit of Jesus into the mix and you don’t have to do anything at all. There are two comments from my previous commentary that I want to share that I think voice this concern:
Vitola1111 says, “I think the biggest mistake Christian films make is trying to be evangelistic; ‘Hey, buddy, wanna try Jesus out? He might just fix your failing marriage, health or career if you just give him a shot. Come on, just try it out for 14 days?’ Put cheesy dialogue and music on top of that along with flat cookie-cutter characters and you’ve got yourself a Christian film.”
He continues, “Instead of overtly trying to be evangelistic with their films, they just need to let the Christian worldview or lack thereof (sometimes all you need to show is the devastating effects of a lack of Christian graces) shine through. What’s important is not the overt message of the story but what permeates it. If the instrument (person making the film) is purified in mind and heart through God’s word, it will lead to stories that are filled with the Biblical worldview without trying to force evangelism.”
This guy articulated what a lot of us have been thinking. Christian films have become almost like advertisements. Try Jesus out for 14 days and have your health and welfare fixed or your money back. In an attempt to appeal to everybody (which is nobody), you’re watering down the truth and the fullness of God’s message. I think the second comment I’ll quote here summarizes this perfectly. I’m sorry if I butcher your name. ShugaAnims says, “Preaching the gospel does not excuse poor storytelling.”
By shedding good storytelling principles in favor of trying to appeal to everybody, we’re actually appealing to nobody, because a movie that’s made for everybody has no target audience. A movie that has no target audience is fluffy and has no true stakes because there isn’t anything in it that has weight. By watering down both storytelling and the message of the gospel, you’re focussing on half-truths, and there are no greater, more complete lies than incomplete truths. Half-truths are misleading, they are deceiving and they don’t convey the fullness of the Christian message. Instead, we get films like God’s Not Dead where secular people are made fun of and mocked in their entirety. Imagine watching this film as a non-Christian, and you see that you are being mocked and portrayed as an idiot. Would you like Christians very much? How about this one scene from the movie:
Amy: Did you hear what I just said? I have cancer.
Marc: This couldn’t wait until tomorrow?
Amy: What? How can you say that to me? I thought you loved me.
Marc: *pause* I do, but you’re changing our agreement. You’re breaking our deal.
Amy: You make it sound like a contract negotiation!
Marc: Well, what did you think this was?
Amy: I thought it was love!
Marc: Grow up, Amy. Love is the most overused word in the English language.
Imagine being in the audience at the theatre, and you are being portrayed as this dense, selfish idiot that thinks of nothing other than himself. Is this going to incentivize you to look into Biblical principles? I wouldn’t. The fact this is our Christian representation in film is embarrassing. You know you’re doing something wrong when even fellow Christians think the movies meant to represent them are corny and unrealistic. They are not an accurate representation of the master storyteller we serve.
We’ve spent too much time being quiet for the sake of maintaining a clean and sterile image to the public. Listen, Jesus didn’t tone down his message or the Word of God for the sake of offending somebody; he was bold, so we must be too. Now, be prepared, because I’ll be stepping on a few toes in this next section if I haven’t already.
I’ve been speaking to Christian film as a whole, but now I’m speaking to you personally. The issue with some Christians is they feel like if “the world” or secular people are writing stories one way, we have to go completely the opposite. It’s essentially a contrarian attitude and it comes from a desire to distinguish ourselves from everybody else, which in this instance means making more Jesus movies and not making anything that has swearing, violence, or any real stakes in it like in Machine Gun Preacher for instance. This movie is rough around the edges much like the main character, Sam. You get the clear picture that this man is lost; he’s an alcoholic, a drug addict, he’s a criminal, and he’s violent in his home. But through the encouragement of his wife who is a newly converted Christian, he realizes that his old ways of living must be shed for a new way, a better way. When I watched this film, I was reminded of C.S. Lewis who called himself, “the most reluctant convert”. It’s true that sometimes, we know deep in our bones that we need something, but we’re so reluctant to move toward it. You understand that in this man, and you know why. He’s reluctant to give up a life of comfort. He ends up using his violent tendencies from his old life to protect kids in Sudan from the rebel forces that keep destroying and pillaging the villages.
The desire to have a clear and thick line between us and everybody else comes from a desire to be righteous and love God, so while I can respect the motive, I cannot, however, respect the action of forsaking all conventional storytelling methods just because secular people use them too. On the contrary, shouldn’t that be encouraging? If secular people are using the same storytelling methods as Jesus, shouldn’t we rejoice? Good storytelling is universal, which is why we can have stories like Machine Gun Preacher and The Passion of the Christ and people can enjoy those movies regardless of their religious standing. It’s edifying to watch, and you relate to the characters and feel their pain.
I think many Christians are afraid of or vehemently against swearing or violence of any kind because it’s what secular people are using to convey their stories. But think about this: if violence and swearing were an issue, why does the Bible–our standard for right and wrong–have immensely violent and strong visual stories and histories written in its pages? If God, the perfect and righteous creator, is using strong and sometimes explicit language to describe violence, rape, and wickedness, why can’t we mirror him in our storytelling? This doesn’t mean we show sex scenes and grotesque violence, but we shouldn’t rule out all storytelling methods simply because we don’t like it. We don’t like all the issues mentioned earlier, and heck, even child sacrifice is mentioned in the Bible4 when God lays out his laws for the Israelites. Leviticus 18:21 says, “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech” and again in Deuteronomy 18:9, “When you come into the land that Yahweh your God is about to give you, you shall not learn to do like the abhorrent things of these nations. There shall not be found among you one who ‘passes his son or his daughter through a fire.’”
Suppose we’re going to be afraid because a fellow Christian desires to shed light on an uncomfortable topic like child sex trafficking like in the movie Sound of Freedom. In that case, we can’t even say we follow the Bible because it has many topics that are not PG. The Bible is rated R and if we made it into a film, it certainly would be. So I think it’s about time we stop pretending that we’re more righteous than we are. I’m not saying to ditch our standards. The Bible clearly portrays many violent and disturbing things, so what I’m getting at is that we shouldn’t be afraid to do the same for the sake of pointing people to Christ. The point of showing the darkness is so that we can contrast it with the light. If we have nothing to challenge us and force us to grow, we are going to stay in the same place our whole life. That’s called immaturity. If you are at the same maturity level at 50 as you were at 20, you haven’t gotten more mature. That’s why these topics are in the Bible because God is showing them to us to force us to think critically and mature as people. We need to learn the lessons he is teaching us in Scripture, which is why we need to mirror them in film as well.
There are a few things I want to quote from Brian Godawa’s book, Hollywood Worldviews that I think are applicable here:
- The Scriptures depict sinful acts that are revolting to our sensibilities. The portrayal of good and the portrayal of evil are two sides of God’s revelation to us of his one good and holy truth.
- It is the context through which these misbehaviours are communicated that dictates their destructive or redemptive nature.
- If we ignore truth’s darker side, we are focusing on half-truths, and there are no fuller, more complete lies than half-truths.
The issue with limiting ourselves when it comes to showing truth’s darker side is that by ruling out a wider range of storytelling, we are dealing with a double standard in our worldview. If you say portraying violence is wrong, that rules out most of the Bible. If you say language is wrong, that also rules out most of the Old Testament and New Testament. Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 1 & 2 Kings, and the other books with their immense depictions of violence, bloodshed, murder, rape, and debauchery. You have to rule out chunks of the New Testament as well; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc., with Christ’s gory and bloody crucifixion, the stoning of the apostles, etc. You can’t simply rule out a whole range of storytelling without ruling out most of the Bible as well. The Bible deals with these issues, so we must as well. But the difference between us and how the world tells stories is that we have a standard of morality by which we can portray these things. The world doesn’t since if you do not serve God, you have no standard. Society isn’t a standard because culture is ever-changing. Past societies have thought polygamy and child sacrifice were okay. Woke people right now think it’s okay to mutilate children. So you can say society can hold a very high standard because everything is relative, and to make truth claims based on relativism is self-refuting. God doesn’t tell us about Cain’s murder of Abel because he wants us to enjoy murder; he tells us because we’re seeing the consequences of sin and there’s a lesson for us to learn. Likewise, we can implement similar storytelling tools in film and art.
There’s a quote from Dennis Peacocke’s book Doing Business God’s Way that I think articulates this excellently: “What’s truly unfortunate are Christians who live in the real world, but refuse to deal with the real issues in it. This is tragic because it misrepresents God and because it allows the evil world system to exploit people and take away their ability to fully experience freedom, growth, and productivity from God’s point of view.”
This is a heavy topic, and I probably pushed some people’s buttons, but I’m saying this to encourage you to examine your own standards and make sure they align with Scripture. If they do, then you have no reason not to be bold with your art and creativity.
The issue with Christian movie companies like PureFlix
I’ve already alluded to it, but the issue with companies like PureFlix is a fear of not having a “distinctive” factor like predominantly making Jesus movies–which I’ll get into in a moment–but there’s also a secondary issue: money. I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here, so I’ll just quote myself from a previous commentary5:
“The reason we think of Christian movies as ‘bad’ is because they are made that way on purpose. There’s a sizable market of Christians who readily consume said content, and executives and writers of these films don’t risk making something that may be outside the norm and contrary to their audience and our culture simply for one reason: money. I want to highlight a famous quote from 1 Timothy: ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.’ Money in and of itself is not evil, but it is the lust for it, the greed, that leads to evil. The love of money has caught secular and Christian filmmakers in a trap..”
I’ll pause the quote here for a moment to address this problem. I’m not making this up; the executives and producers in these mainstream hallmark Christian studios are not genuinely trying to make good stories. They are in it purely for the money. I want to quickly make a distinction here between greed and being incentivized to make a profit. Any good business needs to be profitable to be a successful business. Whether you think Christians deserve to be poor or not, I’m not going to debate you on your poor theology if that is the case, but if you think Christians should be poor, that’s on you because Jesus never condemned wealth. In any case, businesses have to be profitable otherwise they die, and the best way to make profits is to be the best producer in the market and be service-oriented with your customers. In a competitive market, the best service wins because we all want to have the best experience possible as customers. But lusting after money is the issue here. The movies that are made in studios like PureFlix are determined purely by math and data. Here’s what Marcus Pittman has to say about it. He worked directly with the company that made PureFlix’s ads.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6204JSPSBfvOv70qCorOJL?si=e633338335944c3a
‘One of the reasons Christian movies in general feel like Hallmark movies is they’re designed that way on purpose. Every decision that is made in terms of what film is put out in Christian media is determined based on math and data. That’s why a lot of films you’ll see in Christian media are about a horse, they’re about a young girl, they’re about a mother, or they’re about something like that, right? So they have these analytics that they use to sort of make these decisions. And the reason they do that is because when Christian movies first started coming out to the movie theater, they were only in the movie theaters for maybe 2 or 3 weeks. And so they realized kind of quickly–I think it was kind of smart of them to figure this out–they realized that the only way they were going to make their money back was video stores. We don’t just think that movies are good because we look at the analytics and data, although that’s important. I think the analytics and data should confirm our worldview. And so our worldview says that humans are created in the image of God and God has given us stories, And God has given us these kinds of stories, and if God is telling these kinds of stories, then people who are creating the image of God must somehow naturally relate to those kinds of stories. Else the Bible is not true. But because the Bible is true we can make those sorts of decisions, and then we can look at the analytics and data and say, “Oh yeah, see that’s true.”’
If every decision made about a story is driven by math and data instead of heartfelt passion for the characters and the world they are living in and the people who are engaging in the story, then the movie is going to be formulaic and robotic. We use analytics to guide us and confirm what we already know to be true. If we go purely based on analytics, the story becomes more like an essay, purely and strictly following a robotic formula. But storytelling isn’t robotic, and that’s what makes art beautiful. We use formulas as guidelines for stories and art so we can gauge what makes a good story, but the beauty of art is that the artist has the freedom to break the rules and create something unique. Stories are both a partnership of guiding formulas and free-flowing creativity, and that’s what makes art unique. The author has their thumbprint on each piece of art, individual to them. Let’s continue with my quote from earlier. I go on to say,
“…Stay comfortable and keep making crappy movies that are marketed to a reliable audience, or make a risky move and make a compelling story that might upset a few people because you’re doing stories God’s way. At this point, your faith will naturally be conveyed through the story. People want raw and real stories, not ‘horse and puppy’ movies, not movies that blast a preachy message in your face, not movies where the character takes a five-minute monologue to remind you that ‘Jesus loves you’ and ‘you just gotta believe, man.’ That’s not storytelling. And there are a lot of those kinds of movies out there (speaking from personal experience, I have seen them). There’s also a crossover in this “inspirational” type of messaging with secular films. The main difference is that self-love and empowerment are the answer for the secular man, and for the Christian moviegoer, being a Christian is the main attraction, not the characters and the struggles they go through. A Christian message should naturally be baked into a story as long as the story is the main focus.”
These movies are meant to be didactic, almost like you’re turning an instruction manual into a movie; “Here’s how to talk to Jesus” or “Here’s how to convert to Christianity”. To make matters worse, the films that I’ve watched and know of often have weak “jellyfish theology” as Marcus Pittman puts it. That term is so accurate it’s not even funny. The fact is, cringy and preachy aren’t even sufficient terms to use for Christian movies anymore. With Disney, Marvel, and a slew of other studios in Hollywood transitioning to a diverse, LGBTQ-targetted narrative, those terms are no longer sufficient to explain the level of bad storytelling in our movies. As one commenter said, “Modern movies with woke messaging are as much cringe as faith-based movies. Both preach down to the public with messaging above storytelling.”
I want to use this as a segue to quickly address something: I’m sure you’re familiar with the term, ‘the culture is the report card of the church.’ And if you aren’t, you’re about to find out why this statement is so important. As God’s Church, we are the ones leading the trends in society. If you look throughout the Bible and history, you will see a common theme: when God’s people obey him, they prosper. Take the story of Joseph, for example. He was led by God to help deliver Egypt from starvation during a famine despite great odds. Through the trials and eventual elevation of his status to being second only to Pharaoh, his actions influenced both the people of Egypt and Pharaoh himself so that they turned to God. If you look again in Judges, the fear of the Lord was subsequently followed by 40 years of peace.
Judges 8: 22-23
‘The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.”’
Continuing in verse 28: ‘Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.’
This is a recurring theme in the Bible. When God’s people forsake him, there is a time of chaos and war. Something that comes to mind is when Israel is enslaved by the Babylonians and only after 70 years were they allowed to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild their city and temple.
This is a slight shift from this video’s topic, but an important one. If we are not telling stories the way God does, namely, by having biblical principles as our foundation and good storytelling as our driving force, then we are actively disobeying God. I can guarantee most people don’t even make that connection. So, by excluding all other types of films and saying “This is what a Christian film looks like,” Christian media has essentially deviated from biblical storytelling. That is not a comforting thought, but it’s true. I even got a few comments from atheists on my previous video thanking me–and Christian media by extension–for making crappy movies because that is what sparked their path to atheism. Okay, riddle me this: how is it that the movies that are supposed to be the best, the most enjoyable, and the most edifying are instead the ones that are driving people away from God? There seems to be a bit of a disconnect there. I’ll expound on that later, so bear with me as we transition to this next section.
Before we attempt to define what a true Christian movie looks like, I want to briefly address any lingering issues about Christian media companies.
‘I was head of advertising for the agency that did PureFlix’s marketing and we’d spend a million dollars a month advertising to 35-year-old women, like the worst movies you could possibly imagine. Hallmark, lifetime, that sort of style and my job was to take any guns out of a trailer or anything that might offend these women and I did that for a year and I just couldn’t do it anymore. Everybody’s donating all this money to PureFlix because they’re like ‘We’re the Christian film company’ and ‘We’re protecting you from sex and violence’ and all this sort of stuff it’s ‘what we’re supposed to do.’ So, people are supporting the mission but there was never any incentive to actually take that money and then build something that served as an example to what they’re telling people they want to do.’
Marcus Pittman is addressing a commonly observable issue in the majority of Christian media: there is next-to-no male-driven content6. If I as a male Christian wanted to watch an awesome action movie and went to a Christian media company, what would I find? God’s Not Dead. The producers of these films are smart in the regard that they have found a reliable, however, they do so by exploiting older women. So in storytelling, much like real life, you need both the feminine and the masculine to make a compelling story. Without emotion, there is no empathy for the characters, and without action, the story doesn’t even go forward. The problem with Christian media is it has swung completely in the other direction headfirst into emotion. It would be equally bad if it was all in the action and no emotion. That’s where you get movies like Zombieland. I have no words for that movie, it was terrible, let’s move on.
Essentially, Christian studios have cut out 50% of the population by directing all their movies toward women. Cutting out men from your audience as a whole is simply bad marketing. From a business standpoint, women will go with men to see the movies, but not necessarily the other way around. And if we aren’t making films that influence the men of this age, someone else will.
Another issue is that a lot of Christian media is based on what already exists–they are not willing to “break” the rules. This “faith-based film” format leans heavily on overtly preachy dialogues and predictable storylines, primarily targeting a female Christian demographic rather than engaging a wider audience. The purpose here is more to affirm the faith of a reliable audience base rather than to draw in outsiders or those on the fence. But we could do better by making films that not only affirm biblical values but also reflect compelling, real-to-life stories and characters. The problem with making one type of movie and then labelling it ‘The Christian movie format” is that you are lying to people because you’re saying that cheesy romcoms or preachy exposition is the only kind of movie that qualifies as Christian. It can’t be the only thing that you say “this is what a Christian movie is like” and reject everything else outside of that because it’s not a “Christian” movie.
One commenter said they feel bad and guilty because they don’t like “Christian” films due to the low production quality and bad writing. Here’s what he had to say:
“Well said, brother! I remember growing up seeing faith-based films and getting accosted with a mix of emotions:
1. Felt really cringe,
2. Felt really bad for the creators because I imagined them being really good and even godly people who were not afraid to put it all out there
3. Really wanted to like it but couldn’t, and
4. Felt guilt for hating many of them because some were just so bad. Not to mention how happy it always ways. The music in the 90s and early 2000s were even worse. Wasn’t sure how to reconcile it.”
The sad reality is that even fellow Christians can’t stand these films. But I will quickly say, this video is not all doom and gloom. There is hope, and I will shortly be sharing with you some good alternatives to the stereotypical Christian film.
Before we move on, I want to address this comment that I think is relevant to this:
“While I completely agree, should we not put our spirituality first? Physical, mental, etc, second?”
My response was, “If we’re talking about a relationship with God, that is absolutely number one. However, from a storytelling standpoint, Jesus himself never let the spiritual overshadow the other elements of storytelling. Each realm has a part to play in making a great story.”
And we will see just how true that is when we get into the films I’ll be ranking after this next section. By the way, if you’re enjoying this, I’d appreciate it if you subscribed and checked out my channel membership below this video. Your support is appreciated!
What even is a “Christian” film, anyway?
With all this in mind, what does–or should–a Christian film look like, anyway? I will present you with a working thesis at the end of this chapter which will, in part, be addressed by the movie ranking I will be doing after, but I want to make sure we have clear terms before we dive into that section.
I think many Christians who want to maintain a righteous standard and demeanor have an issue with depictions of evil in film. I will be addressing this in the movie review section, but I’ll speak about it for a bit anyway. Here’s the thing; without facing hard truths and sometimes darkness, we have no reason to grow and mature as people. The lessons we learn in the Bible are so impactful because we have the darkness and evil to contrast with the light. The light of God is so much more impactful and powerful because we can see how far it penetrates the darkness and shadow. Getting a bit poetic here, but let me illustrate this further.
The Bible is the ultimate sourcebook. Without its definition of a universal objective morality, we have no standard, no absolute reference by which we can judge right and wrong. The writers of the Bible expose man’s inhumanity for the purpose of moral instruction and with the intent of avoiding the repetition of history. If you don’t learn the lesson God is trying to tell you, you will be faced with the same lesson over and over and over again until you learn it. The intent of the stories and historical narrative in the Bible is equivalent to the journalistic impact of photos of the Holocaust or prisoners of war; they uncover hidden corruption and expose evil to the light of day. The intent is to expose the darkness and shine the light of God into the dark. So that’s why we can have movies like The Book of Eli that show and imply the depravity of man, because we’re mirroring the what the Bible shows us.
The second thing is this: evil in scripture is not always depicted in intimate detail, nor is it to glorify evil. Evil isn’t entertainment in and of itself. It isn’t depicted as fun or enticing, and it isn’t always shown in excessive indulgence either. That’s one of the problems I have with horror films like the Saw series or with pornographic tv shows like Game of Thrones; the nature of the graphic amounts of sex and gore is simply there for the shock factor.
Thirdly, in the Bible, sinful behavior always has consequences. When David commits adultery with Bathsheba, there are clear consequences for their actions. The son that is born through their sin ends up perishing within a short time after it’s birth. Through this experience and Nathan’s rebuke from God, David repents and turns back to righteousness. Sinful behavior always have consequences. The point is this: If the movie has biblical principles as the foundation for the morality and standard by which evil is judged, then it will be inherently Christian since the story will be good.
Fourth and finally, there is context. Immoral deeds in the Bible are always contextually presented as immoral. They aren’t portrayed as fun for us to engage with; they are explicitly shown as evil. I think people tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to portrayals of evil in film and art because “that’s not what good Christians are supposed to look at”. On the contrary; if we are good Christians, we will examine and critically think about the evil that is shown around and within us. It’s through facing the darkness and sin that we are able to grow. Facing pain and learning from it is the natural progression of maturing into a well-rounded Christian. If telling violent and disturbing stories was a sin, then God is the chief of sinners since his word is full of it. I’m not arguing for excessive gore or what-have-you, but I am encouraging you to think critically about your own standards and where they come from in light of -Scripture. Jesus had no problem using strong, illustrative language and visuals in his stories and daily interactions with people, and he never sinned. He was fully man and fully God, so if you’re going to say it was okay for Jesus to do as he did, but not for us, that is called a double-standard and you would have to call Jesus a sinner for your position to be morally consistent. Some people would say that Jesus never used strong language and that he’s much like the typical Jesus movies of this day: candy-coated and soft-spoken. Look at Jesus’ parables yourself and you will find that he is consistent in his portrayals of sin and righteousness in his stories.
I want to quickly address the storytelling aspect of an artists’ journey. A lot of people who commented on my previous video were artists who were or are currently struggling with how their faith is incorporated into their art. I would challenge you to frame it this way: Are you a storyteller that happens to be a Christian or a Christian who happens to be a storyteller? That is a question I cannot answer for you, but I will say that the way you answer this will change how you produce your art. If it’s any help, I would offer this: if you are faithful to God simply by writing the best stories you can, his standards will naturally be conveyed in your stories since you are by definition partnering with him in his moral standards. You can’t write with passion something that is contrary to yourself.
So, we’re building up to this working definition of what a Christian movie looks like, but I want to encourage you with a few more points. What we’re building here as Christian artists and filmmakers is something that we might not see the full fruits of in our lifetime. We’re making something that people can enjoy generations down the road.
Ep.30 – We Discuss Our Interview With Marcus Pittman of Loor.TV | Cultural Warfare with Jon Croft
‘We just have to want to disrupt the industry and take it over and it’s a lot harder; it’s a much bigger financial risk for investors because it’s most likely not going to happen and when it does happen the turn is probably going to be several years down the line or several decades down the line. You might not live long enough to see it, but your grandchildren might get the benefits of the equity but you have to take those risks to push an industry forward. If you don’t, you’re just always going to be second-rate.’
I personally find this encouraging, because if my grandkids, and great-grandkids, and their generations are enjoying the fruits of my labor years down the line, that’s a job well done.
What we need to do is rebuild biblical values in the film industry. We can’t have a thriving industry if we don’t even have a good foundation to build off in the first place. I like to think of this as filmmaking reconstructionism. You may have heard of Christian reconstructionism. Here’s a quick clip from Mark Rushdoony’s series on YouTube.
What Is Christian Reconstruction? ~ A Chalcedon Moment #97
“Christian reconstruction as a term is merely an analogy the term Christian reconstruction relates the message and responsibility of the Christian as he approaches his culture our culture has problems because it’s based on man’s sinful will and we know the rebellion against God in any area life and thought never works. When men rebel against God they’re going to have problems; they’re going to fail, and what we see around us is progressing systemic failure in our culture the alternative to allowing this to fail is to reconstruct it’s to rebuild failing ideas and practices and institutions on a more solid foundation to rebuild them on the Word of God. Christian reconstruction begins with ourselves; rebuilding our thinking rebuilding our approach to our responsibility to God. It then progresses outwardly to our families, our various spheres of influence, such as our vocations groups were involved in, to institutions to our communities. but at heart, it’s merely faithfulness to God”
This video resonates with me because we are seeing the deconstruction of biblical worldviews as we speak. In our culture and in film, we are seeing people tearing down God’s standards in favour of woke ideology, gay parades, graphic sex, etc. These people hate God’s standards, and we’re seeing them attempt to deconstruct our faith and moral standards. That’s why we need to be out on the front lines reconstructing biblical standards in film, art, music, business, government, etc.
In this instance, I’m specifically applying the term reconstruction to film. What we’re seeing today in the film industry is a prime example of a culture being deconstructed by the stories we ingest. I may sound like a broken record, but Hollywood stands out like a sore thumb. As the saying goes, “Go woke, go broke”. There’s more than a grain of truth to that, but this saying is really based on one idea; if you shed stories with motivating characters and instead focus on virtue signalling, the majority of audiences will lose interest. This goes for Christian and secular writers alike.
With all that in mind, the working definition I have come up with is this: “A Christian film is one that’s morally consistent with Scripture to the best efforts of the writer, taking into account that they are imperfect and are unable to create perfect stories.”
A good story fits within a Christian worldview and/or framework because it’s true to reality, has moral consistency, and uses and/or shows biblical principles. If our moral standards are consistent with Scripture, inside and outside of storytelling, then we will be able to create interesting, captivating stories, keeping in mind that we as imperfect human beings will make mistakes, but nonetheless will do our best to create the best work possible.
Movie Reviews/Ranking
Now on to the ranking. I have compiled a short list of movies that I think have some pretty solid biblical themes, and I even used a couple as examples to illustrate my points in this essay so far. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Some of these movies are rough around the edges, but that doesn’t take away from their inherently biblical messages and themes. As we will see, some of these films don’t do a good job at all and do the opposite. (when an atheist throws an insult in God’s not dead, “Now that’s a lot of damage!”) And keep in mind, there is a layer of subjectivity to these films, but I’ve tried to keep the reviewing process as analytical and objective as possible.
I’ll be ranking each of these movies based on three questions:
- What is the main theme?
- How are good and evil portrayed and by what standard?
- What is the production value?
Hacksaw Ridge
Starting strong, we have Hacksaw Ridge. Oh my goodness, it’s such a good film! Before I get into it, I just want to say that this movie challenges the notion that violent men are brave men. It challenges the idea that violence and aggressiveness in and of itself are equated with masculinity. Now, I’m going to pause that thought for a minute and explain some of the more grisly aspects of the film.
Right out of the gate, we are hit with a semi-truck of reality. This movie explores the horror of war and shows some gut-wrenching moments; this film pulls no punches. A little background info; this movie is based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a devout Seventh-Day Adventist who refused to use a weapon due to his convictions. The term Hacksaw Ridge refers to a steep escarpment on the island of Okinawa, Japan where one of the bloodiest battles of World War II occurred. Doss volunteered for the Army during WWII. He was teased by his peers for his conviction not to bear arms, but despite this, he went on to serve as a medic during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. During this insane battle, despite having no firearm whatsoever, he single-handedly saved the lives of over 70 men. This movie is so freaking powerful. After I finished this movie, I remember thinking, “Now that is masculinity”. Don’t get me wrong, physical fitness is a part of masculinity too, but it’s not everything. This man displayed selflessness, compassion, and an insane amount of courage. It takes a fearless man to do what he did, and I love the implications and the message that was directed at fellow men who are watching the movie. Being a masculine man doesn’t just mean being strong or physically fit, it also means being able to show compassion and help others weaker than yourself. What’s amazing though, is this film is shown through the lens of a biblical worldview. That’s why we can see and be empowered by the story of people like Desmond Doss because that light shines through the dark moments. This one interview from the man himself says it all.
Hacksaw Ridge”Desmond Doss Life And Speech “[FullHD|1080p]
“Lord, help me get one more.” That is so awesome. The cast killed their roles, Andrew Garfield is awesome, and he’s actually on another film in this list. So, for ranking, this movie can only go one place: A tier. If there was another level, It would go in the S tier just because of the raw and empowering character development, relationships, courage, and so much more. If you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend it.
God’s Not Dead
How could we do this ranking without a bad movie? Introducing God’s Not Dead…yikes. That was essentially my gut reaction upon rewatching and finishing this movie. I saw it years ago and I was not looking forward to seeing it again, even if it was for ‘scientific’ purposes (sarcasm). I’m just going to quickly go through my notes and you will quickly see how awful this movie is.
I have two main critiques of this film and others like it. First, unrealistic characters which includes the mockery of secular individuals and the ironic tomfoolery of the Christian characters themselves. I’ll get into this in a moment. Second, the dialogue is so bad. It isn’t realistic, it isn’t funny, it isn’t even passable. I’m afraid you will have to witness this for yourself if you haven’t already. You’re welcome.
God’s Not Dead 46:00
Amy: Did you hear what I just said? I have cancer.
Marc: This couldn’t wait until tomorrow?
Amy: What? How can you say that to me? I thought you loved me.
Marc: *pause* I do, but you’re changing our agreement. You’re breaking our deal.
Amy: You make it sound like a contract negotiation!
Marc: Well, what did you think this was?
Amy: I thought it was love!
Marc: Grow up, Amy. Love is the most overused word in the English language.
Guys, this isn’t dialogue. It’s like ChatGPT and another AI model were having a conversation. It’s robotic and feels awkward to listen to. I feel like, the whole point of the dialogue in the movie was simply to get a point across and nothing else. Just get the exposition to the viewer’s ears and move on. This isn’t storytelling, and this movie makes me want to eat a hot chilli pepper because this is outrageous and I want to feel something other than vast amounts of cringe. Sorry, I got a little carried away.
I just thought of a third issue this film has: the theology. Now, I’m not afraid to talk about this because if you’ve gotten this far, that tells me you’re either a critical thinker, or you have thick skin, or both. Either way, thank you for watching, and I’m about to push some buttons. The portrayal of God as some genie and chill hippy dude who only cares about love is ridiculous and unscriptural. All you have to do is rub the lamp three times, say a prayer, and boom, your cancer is gone, your girlfriend likes you again, and your family is back together! It’s true that God is generous and enjoys giving to his children, but he doesn’t give in to our demands. He rewards obedience and faithfulness, like how he rewarded Abraham and Job with much wealth and prosperity due to their righteousness and faithfulness. This weak “jellyfish” theology portrayed in mainstream Christian films is a desperate attempt to appeal to everybody as well as existing customers. If you try to please everybody, you please nobody. I was going to save this for the part where I address the hate comments, but I’m too deep into it to turn back, so here’s what one commenter had to say about this particular vein of theology:
“In my opinion, this is a false dialectic brought on by Protestantism and a heavily satan-influenced media.” He goes on to say, “You honestly need to escape this entire way of thinking. It’s destructive and only comes when you can’t reasonably define your faith and its practices. You find yourself under some pressure to invent ways to prove you’re a Christian because there is no deeply rooted tradition to pull from.”
Finally, he says, “If you are a Christian, then everything you do will naturally be filled with your worldview, otherwise you are inauthentically trying to appeal outside of your beliefs which is self-betrayal and more cringe than trying to force the word of Jesus into every song you make. The Orthodox worldview informs my every decision, so my art will reflect that naturally. Long story short: look into Orthodoxy. A lot of “Christian” issues are actually just protestant issues. A lost child in an increasingly nihilistic world.”
There are a lot of things I agree with here, but there is one thing I strongly disagree with which I’ll get into in a moment.
Firstly, I agree that we must escape the way of thinking that everything must be infused with a direct and explicit reference to Jesus. It is not beneficial since movies are not sermons, they are stories which involve subtext, foreshadowing, and narrative woven throughout. I think many Christians feel some pressure to measure up to this idea that we must infuse messages of Jesus in everything since they are Christians. But part of being a Christian simply means making the best product possible, which means our worldview and principles will naturally be showcased. Good stories are inherently Christian because they have a high moral standard.
Okay, so now where I disagree is the issue that Protestantism itself is the issue and Orthodoxy is somehow superior. I want to make it clear, I am not against either set of beliefs. I think the upholding of tradition is beautiful, and likewise, reformed theology is critical to our thought processes in this age.
The issue here is not a matter of which denomination is better: they each have their highlights and drawbacks. No group of people within Christianity is perfect.
The real problem is that the weak “jellyfish” theology is portrayed by Christian media as Protestant in films, and these studios have lots of money behind them so the people who see them think that the protestant faith is embodied in these films. Essentially, the rest of us with more solid theology are a bad representation.
So, back to God’s Not Dead, the Christian and secular characters are good examples of bad storytelling. It’s a masterclass on how not to write relatable and interesting characters. C tier.
A film along a similar vein: Saving Christmas. I think this goes without saying, but the dialogue is uninteresting and character development is nonexistent. Just take a look at this one clip from Christian Movies Are Bad by Josh Keefe (5:38-6:40)
Christian studios have plenty of regular supporters and money behind them, so the reason films like these are bad isn’t from a low budget. It’s simply laziness and a lack of willingness to put true creativity into the process, and I will address this when I get to the hate comments from my previous video. This movie goes into C tier.
The Count of Monte Cristo
This movie is one of my top favorites, and I know I said I’d be unbiased in these rankings, but you’ll see why I enjoy this one so much.
This movie is a tale of vengeance, betrayal, courage, loyalty, and faith. I cannot do this story justice without heavy spoilers, but I’ll try my best here. The story centers around a man named Edmond Dantes and his betrayal at the hands of his best friend Fernand. Because of his strong jealousy, he not only robs Edmond of his reputation, but also his fiancé and condemns him to a life of misery in the bowels of a remote island prison. Throughout this ordeal, Edmond’s faith is rattled, his life is threatened, but as his escapes the prison and later metes out vengeance on those how ruined his life, he learns to let go if his hate and turn to righteousness, regaining his family and honor.
One of my favorite things about this film are the themes of justice and loyalty. Seeing the wicked men who ruined his life get their just reward is so satisfying to see in real time. Like my earlier comments on moral standards, sinful behavior always has consequences, and the men who destroyed Edmond eventually become ruined and destitute themselves. I also cannot move on without mentioning the amazing friendship cultivated between Edmond and Jacapo, a pirate who’s life he saved after escaping prison. This friendship is awesome, and Jacapo is willing to confront Edmond with reality and challenge him on his unwillingness to let go of his hatred for those who made him destitute in the first place. I won’t give you any more spoilers, so if what I said wasn’t enough, you need to watch it yourself. This movie is a solid 9/10. Great production value, amazing acting and writing. A tier.
Silence
This movie was a hard one for me to watch, not because it’s bad, but because it’s so good. In the beginning of the movie, you very quickly understand the dire circumstances that the characters will be placed under in this film. This is a story about two Catholic friends journeying to feudal Japan where Christianity is outlawed. Anyone who professes to follow Christ is tortured and killed. This movie pulls no punches and shows you the full gravity of the situation. Even though this movie was hard to watch, it forces you to look inside your self and ask, “Yeah, how would I act in this situation? Am I willing to die for my faith? What am I willing to die for? Would I stand firm if placed in similar scenarios?” Not to say that you will be tortured or should go out of your way to experience that, but this movie makes you ponder the depth of your faith and consider what lengths you’re willing to go for God’s kingdom. I’m not giving any spoilers, so if you want to experience this yourself, go watch it. This movie asks tons of questions and almost never answers them, but instead provokes the viewer to answer the questions themselves. If you want a movie that challenges your perspective on faith and trials, and how to stay strong in the face of pain, this movie will certainly do that. It did for me. A tier.
Not-So-Rapid Rapid-Fire Ranking
Okay, now for some not-so-rapid, rapid-fire ranking. I will be going through this as quick as I can, but there are some themes in these movies that are so good I will have to give a bit more depth. So, here we go.
The Passion of the Christ
This movie is nothing short of incredible. Seeing what Christ’s last 24 hours leading up to the crucifixion looked like in vivid detail is truly gut-wrenching. I honestly couldn’t put it into words, but I think Brian Godawa said it well. I’m taking this excerpt from his book Hollywood Worldviews which I’ll be doing a review on in the future, so make sure you’re subscribed for that.
He starts by saying, “The movie of The Passion begins in the garden of Gethsemane with Christ’s betrayal at the lips of Judas and follows the last twelve hours of his earthly life and crucifixion, ending with a brief scene of his resurrection. But this is in no way merely another telling of the greatest story ever rehashed. It is an experiential exploration of the meaning of sacrificial substitutionary atonement like no other Jesus movie has ever depicted. Most movies about Christ have covered the injustice, beatings and crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, some of them better than others, but never like this. All other Jesus movies are revisionist candy-coated schmaltz compared to this one. Gibson based the gruesome details of his film upon a famous clinical investigation of Roman crucifixion and punishment, ‘on the physical death of Jesus Christ,8’ published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 1986. The film translates this historical research onto the screen with a brutal vengeance: scourging whips of leather and bone ripping off flesh, pools of blood, and unidentifiable Christ with his face bashed in. And all of it ‘true to the Scriptures.’”
He goes on to say, “It is important to understand that the effectiveness of redemption portrayed in any story is exactly equal to the accuracy of the depiction of the depravity from which we are being redeemed. The brutal realism of Christ’s suffering points to the depth and costliness of atonement which was achieved for God’s people through his once-for-all sacrifice. To show anything less is to diminish the gospel. Watching this movie, with its in-your-face grisly realism, provides a much-needed corrective to our modern pseudo-gospels with their bloodless Jesuses who exist to fill one’s heart and life with peace, happiness and fulfillment, rather than to die in place of sinners, saving them from God’s wrath.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. No other explanation is needed. If you haven’t seen this movie yourself, go watch it, unless you’re queasy at the sight of blood. A tier.
LoTR
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my all-time favourites. Hours and hours of video essays have been made on how amazing it is, so if you want to watch a LoTR deep dive, I’d recommend looking one up9. I put this movie in this list because it’s full of rich worldbuilding, strong characters with relatable flaws, and an absolutely epic resolution and soundtrack. One of my favourite things about this series, The Return of the King specifically, is the masculine presence of Aragorn. He’s manly, he’s rough, he can kick your ass, but he’s also gentle, compassionate, and caring. This is the pinnacle of masculinity, and I think Tolkien did a fantastic job portraying what a masculine man looks like. So, this movie has no other place than A tier. There is one issue people seem to have with this series, though.
“LOTR isn’t Christian. There is no Christian subtext. It is full of occult characters that God despises.”
Alright, I’m going to get on my pedestal for a second, so bear with me. As I said earlier in this video, the desire to have a clear and thick defining line comes from a desire to be righteous and love God. So when certain people see things that the Bible shows are clearly evil and sinister, they are quick to dismiss anything that portrays those evil things. But it is a misdirect and misunderstanding of what Scripture tells us about depictions of evil. I’m not ruling out the conscience and how each individual has different tolerances for certain things. Here’s the difficult and nuanced thing about this particular topic: as Christians, we can’t rule out the depiction of evil in film without also ruling out Scripture which has vast depictions of evil. If you’re going to rule out movies like Machine Gun Preacher, you may as well take out the Book of Judges which has massive amounts of violence and bloodshed. If you rule out depictions of demons and evil spirits, you have to discard the New Testament and the Old. People may dislike this, but it’s called consistency. There’s a reason God shows these things to us in Scripture is because he wants us to learn something and grow closer to him. He contrasts his awesomeness and pure light with the utter darkness that is sin, and he shows us through history and narrative in his Word. I’ve included a video in the description below that I think is beneficial if you want to learn more about LoTR and its themes specifically. I won’t belabor the point since the next films on this list tie into this perfectly.
The Sound of Freedom
When I saw this movie in theaters when it came out, I was both amazed by the production quality and the horrific nature of the implications of the story. If you haven’t seen it, this movie is based on the life of a real man, Tim Ballard, who rescues children from sex trafficking. This character is played by Jim Caveizel, and he nailed the role. What’s funny is that even though the man whom this story is based on is a mormon, this movie is profoundly and undeniably Christian in its principles and portrayal of justice, grief, and long-suffering. For example, one character asks Tim why he is going out of his way, putting himself in harms way to take these kids out of the clutches of the pedophiles, and he says, “Because God’s children aren’t for sale.” That gave me goosebumps when I saw it in theaters. The writers of this movie were masterful in the way they were able to portray and imply the horrors of sex trafficking without showing anything grotesque. Low B tier. The only reason this film isn’t higher is because it is an indie film and so there were a few minor parts where I would’ve liked a higher quality with the gun fights and action scenes, but it doesn’t take away from the story whatsoever, it’s just me nitpicking.
I think this comment expresses these thoughts excellently: “If Christian movies were like ‘Sound of Freedom’ they would reach more people. That film didn’t have any particular [explicit/overt] Christian message in the dialog or story, but it shined a light on a dark subject. We as Christians should be reaching out to the non-believers with compelling stories which plant a seed, rather than drown them.”
An amazing movie that sheds light on a dark subject. If you haven’t already, go watch it and keep some tissue handy because you will shed some tears.
The Blind Side
The Blind Side was a film that I was skeptical about when I first watched it, only to be pleasantly surprised by the amazing characters and humour used throughout. It’s explicitly Christian with many references throughout the film, but I believe the difference between this and God’s Not Dead is the fact that every line of dialogue makes the characters feel real. It sounds like something someone would actually say. It’s not staged or robotic. The characters have emotion and you get the sense that they are really experiencing the things they are going through. It also helps that this movie is based on a true story.
My favourite thing about this film is that Christian values aren’t always explicitly spoken in this film, it is shown through the characters and their actions. As Marcus Pittman said in the Eric Metexas Show, “Movies have become gospel tracts but they don’t have to be. More importantly, perhaps they shouldn’t be gospel tracts.” I don’t want to belabour the point, but when everything in the movie essentially becomes a cinematic sermon, it becomes boring because part-and-parcel of storytelling is showing the audience characters making good or bad decisions and we see the results of their actions. It’s not that explicit messages can’t be said, but they have to be done in a way that feels natural and appropriate for the situation the characters are going through. It isn’t random, like “Hey Scotty. Jesus, man!”
Honestly, this movie was very enjoyable and the humour was on point. I love the themes of redemption and renewal with both the main character, Michael, and the love and sacrifice his adoptive family shows toward him and each other. Whenever Michael or the family makes a mistake, it’s shown for what it is: a mistake. What’s great about this film is if you’re looking for something that doesn’t take itself too seriously but has some great themes, you’ll love this. It’s amazing, I watched it with my whole family. The production value for the film I would say is good. The set design, costume design, everything felt real and lived in like we were getting a snapshot of someone’s actual life. It’s just a real fun movie that you could watch with family or friends, so this movie goes into A tier.
Nefarious
Now this movie has some good things and some okay things. I’m speaking more directly about the dialogue here and how it was written, but we’ll get to that. First off, the positive. This movie is about James who is interviewing a murderer who is possessed by a demon. James is confused, scared, and even controlled by this demonic entity as he is manipulated throughout the course fo their conversation. The man who portrays the possessed man does a stellar job at conveying this broken, subdued man who is being tormented by this demon who calls himself “He who is nefarious” I won’t spoil anything here if you haven’t seen it, but the tragic nature of this character who made all the wrong choices and ended up where he was is a cautionary tale of what happens when you open a door for the enemy to step through. Excellent message. This movie has next to no action, it is pure dialogue. Which brings me to the first of the problems I have with this film. (1), the dialogue is a bit pointed at times, which isn’t bad, but it isn’t as smooth as it could be, and (2), the production value of this film was on the lower side since in the opening shots you can obviously see the visual effects are a bit rough around the edges.
With all that in mind, I think this film was a step in the right direction, but it it misses the mark on a few things, so I’m placing this movie in a high B tier.
Risen
Another more explicitly Christian film, I wanted to showcase Risen because it has some good themes and some things I think could be done better when it comes to having a more explicit Christian message. First off, excellent acting, and the plotline of this Roman tribune–Clavius– haunted by the horrors of war is great. I think the arc of him starting out chasing and apprehending Jesus’ disciples to becoming a sort of follower himself is ironic for him and edifying to watch it unfold. As he says, he desires “peace, a fresh start, a day without death” and Jesus is the one who shows him the way to true peace and joy by resting in him instead of man. There are two things I don’t like about this film which would be when Clavius asks the disciples why they follow Jesus, their answer is basically, “Miracles, bro!” which I know is kind of true, but it also misses the mark for me. If you’re going to ask something so profound, you need to have a good answer and saying “miracles, bro!” doesn’t do our theology justice. I found that quite amusing. The other thing I had a small issue with was Clavius’ conversation with Jesus. I know that it’s a bit difficult to write dialogue from Jesus’ perspective, but it’s like if I try to write dialogue from my friends’ perspective; I could kind of get it right, but I’m not actually them so the dialogue won’t be the same. The conversation could have been better, but I understand why Jesus’ dialogue in this scene is rather vague. All things considered, it’s enjoyable to watch. I’m putting it in B tier with Nefarious.
The Prince of Egypt
You guys kept commenting this one, and I mean a LOT of you guys love this one, and for good reason. This Dreamworks animation is fantastic, just look at this one scene10 showcasing the 10 plagues. Seeing a creative interpretation of the Book of Exodus is so cool. The music is absolutely fire, and I occasionally just listen to “Deliver Us” because it’s so good. The character development of Moses, seeing the 10 plagues, the conflict between him and his brother Ramses, it all joins together to form a near-perfect movie. I’m not sure any movie can be perfect, but this one is a close second. S tier.
Narnia (2005 series)
The Narnia series is close to my heart. Expect the BBC series, we don’t talk about that one. My apologies to anyone who likes that edition; I have childhood nightmares from some of the puppets and CGI used in that movie. What I really like about these Narnia movies–not to mention the books, which are amazing–is that the characters are relatable and act how someone would actually react to something fantastical like a magic wardrobe that leads you to a fantasy world with animals that can speak. I really enjoy the fantastical element of this fantasy world that C.S. Lewis created; it’s full of life and wonder, and you can’t help but be pulled along with the characters on their journey. Now, I know these movies aren’t perfect, there have been some disputes among fans of the books as to the accuracy of this series, but I do nonetheless appreciate the inspiration that was behind these movies. You can’t miss the subtle and overt biblical themes and principles in here, such as loyalty, faithfulness, courage, and so on. Aslan is an amazing Christ-like figure in this series, with a stone table and literal sacrificial substitution to mirror Christ’s cross and his sacrifice to take the punishment we deserve. Amazing series, whether you love this version or the-one-that-shall-not-be-named, the books are great and the themes are intriguing for anyone who loves the fantasy genre. A tier.
Machine Gun Preacher
Okay, the final movie on our list. Machine Gun Preacher has some things I like and don’t like. Starting with the positive: this movie has a BANGER opening. You can immediately tell and get a sense for where this movie is heading. This opening shot perfectly sets the tone for this rough and rugged movie. From what you see of the main character, Sam, you immediately understand this man is lost, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritiually. This brings me to one of my first critiques of this film which is the shot after opening shot where Sam comes out of jail to greet his wife, and in the next scene they are having a good time in the car. The camera shot is positioned far away, and you can only see their silhouette in the vehicle, but I still thought it was weird, so I’m docking a point for that. Okay, now to something that is close to my heart: the protection of children. The main premise of this film is about a broken man who comes to find Christ and uses his aggressive tendencies to protect and defend homeless children from rebels in Sudan. Anything about a family man protecting his kids or the well-being of others, and you’ve got me hooked. This man is awesome and he is protecting these kids and showing no mercy against the rebels who have destroyed, raped, and killed many women and children. This movie is based on a true story, by the way. Sam has to learn not only how to channel his rage in a righteous way–and you can do it, even God has righteous fury–but Sam has to learn how to let go of his hatred for himself and others by extension. Amazing. This movie is great, it has some drawbacks like some over-the-top dialogue and the scene I mentioned earlier, so I’m going to place this as a low A tier.
Addressing Hate Comments
Okay, now for the part you have been waiting for. This next section is dedicated to addressing some misconceptions and strongly opinionated comments from my previous video. First up on the list, we have bobpolo2964 who said, “God doesn’t have our aesthetic preferences. He loves our bad movies; they have their own value. Saying these movies ‘do the kingdom of God no help’ puts you into God’s mind. How do you know what he thinks about the films made by his other children?”
The answer is quite simple: as Christians, we are called to work with excellence. Ephesians 9:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Again, if we look to Genesis when God created the heavens and earth, he did so with excellence, so to say that God enjoys our bad movies is a nonsensical statement since God himself works with excellence and enjoys and exhorts his children to work with excellence. Again, Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” We’re to work at our passions, our calling, our chores, our relationships, with all our hearts, working for the Lord. The ESV translation says, “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” To really hammer this home, I want to address where this commenter says “God doesn’t have our aesthetic preferences” when he very specifically in Exodus directed the Israelites to make beautiful and ornate garments and furniture for his temple, and guess what? They were pleasing to the eye, because God appreciates and commands excellence.
Okay, next comment. CalvinoSinclair says, “I appreciate bad Christian movies because they are what sparked my path to atheism. I hope they persist and do the same for others.”
If this comment wasn’t clear, I don’t know what is. It is Christian films like God’s Not Dead that has as this man put it ‘sparked his path’ and many others to atheism. This is not good. How are we supposed to be building others up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, spreading his truth, and making good art if we are known for and are primarily making bad films? I won’t belabor the point, but this is a critical issue that Christian artists need to wrestle with. How do you mean to promote biblical principles if you’re too busy making your movies and stories pseudo-sermons? Not that strong language and messages don’t have their place, but it’s something to think about.
Eeaa-hl9iu says, “I hate to break it to you, but Christianity is just out of creative juice. The religion is without spiritual or artistic potency these days. Christian music suffers from the exact same problems. As long as the focus is propagation of religion and proselytizing and not true art, this won’t change, and Christianity simply cannot do without propagating and proselytizing.”
I’ll quickly address the latter half of this comment. I would agree that as long as the focus is on pushing a pointed message in front of as many moviegoers as possible, this won’t change. But the good new is that it will and is changing. Most of the films I’ve had in this list so far have been part of that change, and Christians will continue to make films like these. We will have more sci-fi, fantasy, drama, and action with biblical themes as the foundation for the moral standards in these films. I truly believe that, and as a storyteller and filmmaker myself, I will do my best to emulate that in my own writings. As to the lack of creativity this commenter seems to be implying, there are two problems with that. One, is that we mirror the creator, who is the master craftsman. One look around at the world, the animals, the intricacy of the human body, the landscapes of Iceland and Europe, and you can see clear evidence of a masterful and creative Being at work. The heavens declare God’s handiwork. Second, Christians in history past have been at the forefront of many cultural and creative endeavors. Take Michelangelo for instance: he created beautiful ceiling artworks and sculptures that are still celebrated and admired hundreds of years later. In Europe, I’ve personally visited many beautiful and jaw-dropping cathedrals which are so obviously made with passion and excellence for our God. And we have the films we discussed today. So, the myth that Christians can’t create good art, is just that: a myth.
This last comment is long, but I want to hone in on his initial statement and presupposition. Haru Anderson says, “I understand what you’re saying, but the idea that if the storytelling is there and you have Christian intentions it will naturally be a story that exhalts God is simply untrue.”
I probably sound like a broken record since I’ve addressed this so many times in this video so far, but the truth is that your intention behind a project will show through in the end product. The writers and producers in Hollywood have intended for a the LGBTQ pandering and diversity preaching to be the main thesis of all their movies, so that’s what has been in all their end products. Christians who make excellent art will naturally reflect biblical principles even though they are not overt. The reason why is that good art is Christian art. Think of it like this: God the creator of the universe created beautiful landscapes, vast oceans full of diverse wildlife, and the amazing systems of neurons and muscles and the computing power of the brain in humans. We are made in the image of God, which means we have the same innate desire to create beautiful art. This means that as Christians, if we simply create good art, God’s handiwork and truth will be displayed through our good works.
Final thoughts
I know this topic is heavy and has to many nuances, but it’s so important for this age since the media is chock-full of horrible movies and art, and we as Kingdom-oriented Christians need to be doing something about it. If there was any topic you think I missed, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Question of the day, what do you think makes a good Christian film? Explain your answer in the comments. I love hearing from you guys and it means so much to me that what I’m saying fires you up because honestly, we are sorely lacking for good Christian filmmakers and artists today. And I’ll be practicing what I preach and making my own films. As I’ve said before, it’s not that amazing Christian talent doesn’t exist, but we’ve been afraid to put ourselves out there. Don’t be afraid to make content contrary to culture for the sake of maintaining a good public face.
I know many of you want to or have written stories that are not secular enough for Hollywood, and not tame enough for mainstream Christian media. This video you’re watching and your engagement with this content is the beginning of a storytelling revolution where we tell the stories that people need to hear and the ones that our hearts compel us to write. So be bold for the faith, be bold for Christ. He wants your Book of Eli’s and your Sound of Freedom’s. So go out there and make some amazing content. How? That’s up to you, and maybe I’ll make a video discussing that in the future, but make sure it’s built upon the rock, the foundation of biblical principles.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Martin Luther: “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, for God is interested in good craftsmanship.”
- Storytelling 101 by John Martens ↩︎
- The Wonder of Cinema by Jason Silva ↩︎
- Story in the Bible ↩︎
- Molekh: The Sacrifice of Babies – TheTorah.com ↩︎
- Dear Christian Filmmakers, Stop Making Faith-Based Films ↩︎
- Interview with Marcus Pittman and Jon Croft ↩︎
- Christian Reconstructionism ↩︎
- On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ ↩︎
- Is LOTR Christian? ↩︎
- Prince of Egypt: The Ten Plagues ↩︎
